Sweet to Tongue and Sound to Eye
by futurejelly
Summary: When Sarah wished her brother away to the goblins, she had no idea that she was playing right into a scheme that was planned from her infancy. Jareth needs an heir, and a forbidden magic has determined that Sarah is the woman to give him one. Jareth and Sarah have to navigate the politics and rules of the Underground to find their own destinies, however unwilling they may be.
1. Prologue

Light footsteps echoed quickly through the dark corridor. The torches lining the walls extinguished themselves as a tall figure moved through the shadows toward a lone wooden door sunken into the wall ahead of her. A glimpse of silvery hair long enough to touch the floor could be caught as the woman slipped through the doorway, momentarily bathing the corridor with light. At the sound of the door's latch closing, an old, wrinkled woman lifted her milky eyes just enough to see her visitor. She looked up at the beautiful woman standing against the door and smiled, the moonlight from the single tiny window glinting off the only remaining tooth in her mouth.

"Ah, Niamh. So yeh managed to escape, did yeh?" the old woman chuckled, her voice low and gravelly as if she hadn't spoken in a long time.

Niamh averted her eyes, but couldn't prevent a grimace from shadowing her perfect features. None could have looked on the Magicker's wizened face with anything but disgust. A Magicker needs to practice her art otherwise her purpose is gone and she decays. Her imprisonment in this dank, dark cell and complete isolation from her powers had done nothing to help her rotting features. "I don't have long," Niamh whispered. She held a flowing sleeve up to her face to try to drown out the smell of waste. "And you will address me as 'Majesty'."

The old woman nodded once. "Did yeh bring my mixings?"

Niamh moved gracefully toward where the Magicker sat against the stone wall of the cell. She pulled a small bag from under her loose dress and handed it to the woman, being careful not to let the leathery fingers touch hers. She glanced into the Magicker's clouded eyes and shot her gaze away just as quickly. Fear and superstition made her begin to regret her decision to ask for the cursed one's help.

The Magicker opened the drawstring bag and stuck her face into the opening, sniffing deeply. She cackled at Niamh again. "Well, Majesty, I can't quite make yeh out."

Niamh tried to straighten her back, but bumped her head on the low ceiling. She tried to look as dignified as she could while hunched over. "What do you mean by that?" she asked under a mask of condescension.

The Magicker leaned her head back against the wall and smiled. Niamh forced herself to meet her gaze. "Just trying to figure why yeh want your son dead, is all."

Niamh's eyes filled with anger and she spit through her teeth, "How dare you? I love Jareth more than anything, I'm doing this for him."

"Tiernus'd never let him choose a human." The Magicker's smile disappeared and she studied Niamh for a moment, the small bag clutched to her chest. "I don't doubt yer love for Jareth, Majesty. Only wondering if maybe yer hatred fer the king is drowning it out."

Niamh went completely still at the Magicker's words. Ever since the High King had allowed his hatred of the Above to extend to all those connected with it, the Magicker had been forbidden from practicing her art. Her unique talents were, after all, a threat to the very thing that Tiernus hoped to conserve: separation between the worlds. In an effort to dispel her growing uneasiness, Niamh sliced her hand through the air and snapped, "Enough! The only thing that should matter to you is that I'm allowing you access to your power. Perform the spell or I will take your "mixings" and go."

Those old eyes stared intensely at Niamh's. "…Yer toeing a dangerous line, Majesty," the Magicker said, but she set to work picking out different herbs and other items from in the bag and mixing them together in the bowl, stirring them with her fingertips. Niamh noted a slight breeze in the previously still air and backed away from the woman until her back was pressed to the door. Once the contents of the bag were all in the bowl, the Magicker licked her fingertips and placed them into the mixture. So softly that Niamh couldn't even make out the words, the Magicker started to chant down at the bowl, her body rocking slightly. As time passed, her chanting became louder and she rocked faster. The woman was chanting so loudly that Niamh said, "You must lower your voice, someone will hear!" The Magicker ignored this and kept on chanting and with every rise and fall of her voice a white light grew from the bowl. Niamh fell silent and her worries left her as she stared at the sorcery. The light grew brighter and brighter until the entire cell was illuminated and had Niamh not been mesmerized, she could have seen a barren shelf against the south wall, and a filthy mat of straw in the corner where the old woman must have slept. Once the light was so blindingly bright that Niamh had to shield her eyes, the Magicker abruptly stopped her chanting. The light in the bowl pulsated and began to slowly rise. It hovered just in front of the Magicker's face for a moment, illuminating her features. Niamh's jaw dropped open when she saw that the woman's skin was no longer rotting, and in fact looked just as youthful, if not as beautiful, as her own. Before she could study the transformed features for more than a moment, the light shot away from the Magicker and straight out the window. Niamh ran to the opening and leaned her hands on either side, following the light's progress as it streaked across the sky and finally disappeared in the distance, bound for another world.

"Find him someone worthy," she whispered into the night.

""""

A world away, a baby girl wrapped in a soft, yellow blanket laid asleep in a white bassinet while her parents stared lovingly at her. The new parents kept the apartment warm against the threat of the winter winds outside, but still made sure that their daughter was wrapped tightly against any arrant chill.

"She's so beautiful, Linda," the man whispered, afraid to break the silence from within the crib. The woman smiled, never taking her eyes off her daughter. "Wonder where she got these green eyes, though," he continued.

"My money's on the milkman," Linda quipped with a quick grin at her husband, who glared back at her playfully. "Just joking, Robert. My mother has green eyes, maybe they came from her."

"Hopefully that's all she got from your mother." Linda smacked her husband softly on the arm with a roll of her eyes. Robert chuckled and reached down to carefully tuck the blanket more closely around the baby's shoulders. With a hand on his wife's shoulder, Robert led Linda out of the room, whispering, "Good night, Sarah," as he shut off the lights and closed the door.

As soon as the door shut, a ball of blinding white light streaked into Sarah's room through the closed window. It hovered just above the baby, bobbing slightly up and down. Sarah was roused from sleep by the light intruding through her eyelids and whimpered. When the light persisted, she started to cry in earnest at the glaring light that was keeping her from sleep.

Robert rushed back into the room at the sound of his daughter's cry and looked down into the crib for a moment. He couldn't see anything that would have made her start crying so suddenly, the light was invisible to him as it bobbed in front of Sarah's face. As he stroked a hand along Sarah's soft scalp, he cooed and whispered comforting words to her. Still she screamed, and so he picked Sarah up and cradled her in his arms, singing softly and rocking back and forth. He checked her diaper and found it clean, so he just continued to rock her in his arms. Unbeknownst to him, the light was now tracing its way from Sarah's toes all the way to the crown of her head, and back again. As Robert was about to call Linda into the room for help, Sarah suddenly stopped crying. The light had finished its circuit and had dissolved into the infant's chest. The instant the last of the light faded into her, Sarah was overtaken with fatigue. Robert placed her back in her crib and Sarah slept the whole night through for the first time.

""""

"It's done," the Magicker grunted from her seat against the wall.

Niamh turned from the window with her brows drawn together. "So soon?"

The Magicker shrugged. "The humans've changed since I was last allowed to magic. They don't believe in our world anymore. Quick work to pick through them and find a woman up there who'd not drop dead at the very sight of anything… not ordinary."

Niamh heaved a great sigh and fixed her gaze on the wall above the Magicker's head, deep in thought, her expression somber. "When can she be made to run?"

The Magicker laughed, revealing white, perfect teeth. "Not for a good while, I'd wager."

Niamh flicked her gaze to the Magicker's face. "Why not?" she asked sharply.

"Well, because she can't even walk at the moment, let alone run through that cursed maze," she cackled. "I told yeh there aren't many worthy humans left. It just so happens that this one was the best of the brood, as they say. She'll grow into a fine little queen."

"You mean to tell me that she is a _child?"_

"Aye. A babe in her crib."

Niamh put a slender, white hand to her forehead and began to pace in front of the window. "We can't wait that long. The High King is already searching for a bride for Jareth. He's nearing his 200th year as Goblin King and he is no nearer to having an heir than he was the first day he sat the throne."

"Well, Majesty, why not let him have a fae bride? It'd soothe things between yer husband and him. Everybody knows they've hardly got any love for each other."

"All those women are power grabbing witches with their hands down my husband's pants and in his pockets! Any fae who married Jareth would just be a pawn for Tiernus." Niamh snapped. "Besides, Jareth has already declared he will not have any of them," she added quietly.

The Magicker snorted. "So then what makes yeh think that Jareth would like a human?"

Niamh gave the Magicker a wry smile. "I know my son. He has a romantic heart, but the trait he would like best in a wife is submissiveness. He wants someone he can control." She added bitterly, "He has that in common with his father. Given the right choice, he would take a wife."

The Magicker's smile faded. "Yeh really don't know how this magic works, do yeh?"

"Of course, it's going to find the woman who would be the best queen for Jareth."

The Magicker shook her head. "No, it won't. It'll find the woman who would make the best queen for the goblins. It doesn't even take whatever king is on the throne into account…. If Jareth's happiness is most important to yeh, leave him be. He can rule the goblins without a queen- it's been done before. From the rumors I heard before being locked up in this cursed hole, he's not starved for company, anyway."

Niamh shook her head. "The High King wouldn't allow him to rule without an heir. No, we would have to cut him out of our family and remove him from the throne. I'd never see him again."

"The life of a queen's never easy. Yeh've got a tough choice ahead of yeh. Wait fer the human to grow into a woman, and Jareth will have an able queen. However, unless he changes some parts of himself, he'll never find happiness with her. Let him marry a fae and he'll never be free from Tiernus."

Niamh clenched her jaw and tried to calm her churning stomach. "What do I do?" she said quietly to herself.

The Magicker answered anyway. "Afraid I can't answer that for yeh, Majesty. Magic only goes so far."

Niamh's eyes raced back and forth as she thought. She finally looked up at the Magicker with a cold determination. "We will wait for the human. As soon as she's of age, she will run the Labyrinth for the chance to be the Goblin Queen. I'll just have to stall King Tiernus and convince Jareth. He'll have the girl even if I have to tear the barrier between the worlds down."

The Magicker looked at Niamh with an ancient sadness. She finally shook her head and whispered again, "Yer toeing a dangerous line, Majesty."

Without another word, Niamh turned and swept out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

**First off, thank you for reading! This story will be similar in length to my first story, When the World Falls Down, but that's probably where a lot of the similarities will end. Don't worry, this will still be first and foremost a Jareth and Sarah love story. It just may take a twisting route to get there. **

**Please, please, please review! Reviews are why I'm in the fanfiction game.**

**This story is co-authored by me, futurejelly, and iknowyou2. I will be doing the majority of the writing, but a lot of the ideas and the main concept of the story come from iknowyou2, so if you end up liking the story, be sure to send some praise her way! Also, questions can be sent to either of us. **

**And if you're wondering, the title comes from the poem "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti.**


	2. Changing Hands

_"You have no power over me."_

Jareth paced back and forth in front of his throne, seething. The words Sarah said to him were running through his mind on a loop and with every vision of her lips forming that damned sentence, he got angrier.

"Arrogant, headstrong, stupid girl!" he growled to the empty room. All the goblins were wisely keeping their distance. Each of them knew better than to be anywhere near kicking distance of the king when he was in a temper and this one was particularly explosive. His breaths came in heavy pants and he would go from glaring at the ground to darting his fiery eyes around the room, looking for an unfortunate goblin to help ease his anger. Minutes ago, the king had arrived back at his castle from Aboveground where Sarah was celebrating her victory. Jareth growled, "Victory. She'd never have made it without the help of those traitors!" Since the moment his foot touched the red earth of the Underground, Jareth could think of nothing but the humiliation of being rejected by a mere human.

"Your majesty?" came a timid goblin voice from behind him.

Jareth whipped around and grabbed the goblin by the throat before he could even think of ducking. With one arm, Jareth lifted the little brown figure into the air and the goblin's helmet fell to the floor with a clang. "_What is it_?" Jareth snapped at him.

The goblin was scratching at Jareth's hands and was obviously trying to speak, but his king's grip was too tight. Seeing this, Jareth dropped the goblin so that he landed flat on his bottom. The little goblin snatched up his helmet and whimpered, "Sorry, sire, but the High Queen is here."

Jareth's jaw dropped open. "How could she have known?" he said quietly.

The goblin shrugged and said, "Well, sire, maybe she—"

"Shut up. Did you actually think I was asking you? Get out. And go tell Her Majesty that she may enter." Jareth took a deep breath to gather himself as the goblin ran out of the room, all too eager to leave the irascible king. Jareth lowered himself into his throne, throwing one leg carelessly over the side, determined to show the queen that all was well in the Goblin Kingdom. It wasn't long until Niamh's light footsteps could be heard coming from the entrance hall. Jareth watched as his mother came sweeping into the room, the picture of grace and beauty. She was dressed in a simple silver dress that hung off her shoulders and flowed like water with her every step. Her hair, the same shade of pale blond as Jareth's, was hanging loose and straight around her shoulders.

Jareth fixed her with a bored stare. "Is someone dead?" he asked. "It can't be father or you would be much happier."

As she approached, Jareth noticed that she looked even paler than usual. And her expression, though normally solemn, was especially grave. Niamh stood in front of the throne and stared at her son. Her expression never wavered and Jareth sat up straight in his throne, his demeanor changing to match his mother's serious one. Once she was satisfied that she had her son's attention, Niamh whispered, "What have you done."

"You'll have to be more specific," Jareth said, a challenge in his voice.

"Don't play your games with me, Jareth," she snapped. "I know exactly what happened and I know better than you do what it means."

Jareth stood, towering above his mother, on the steps of his throne. "Are you threatening me, _Majesty_?" he spat with sarcasm.

Niamh pressed her fingertips to her forehead. "Jareth," she said, "I'm trying to save you." Jareth's eyebrows drew together and he stayed silent, waiting for the queen to continue. "You really let her go back? Why would you do such a thing?"

Jareth stared at her with blatant suspicion. "What do you know?" he asked, his voice low.

"Everything," she said. "Everything except how you could allow the girl to leave."

He gave her a cold smile. "Well, she beat my Labyrinth. What kind of king would I be to go back on my word?"

Niamh took a shaky step toward toward her son, her hands clenched into fists in front of her as she said, her voice pleading, "For once in your life, Jareth, be serious. Your father is becoming increasingly impatient, he wants you married and your wife with child. If you fail, he will never allow you to keep the throne."

Jareth said with a sneer, "He could never take my throne, my magic is too powerful. Besides, I would wager that he would rather see me fucking every she-goblin in my kingdom before he'd encourage me to marry a human. Thank you for your concern, Majesty, but I don't need it."

Niamh stood at the bottom step of the throne for a moment before dropping to her knees. Her voice was calm as she pleaded, "My son, he can and will take your kingdom. He will choose a new heir from among the court and you will be killed or cast aside. Take the girl and marry her. Once she is your wife and with child, our laws say he cannot touch her. I'm begging you, for both our sakes, do not test him."

"If you do know everything, then you know that she already ref—" Jareth paused and regarded his mother with narrowed eyes. "By the way, you never did tell me how you know about Sarah. Do I have a spy in my kingdom?" He slowly turned his head to glare at the goblins who were eavesdropping in the doorway. They collectively shrieked and scurried out of sight.

The queen rose to her feet and took a few steps away from the throne. With her back to Jareth, she said, "Of course you don't have a spy. The goblins are simple enough to be extremely loyal. I know about Sarah Williams because she was chosen as your Goblin Queen when she was just a babe."

Jareth's lip curled in anger as he spit, "_You-!"_

"Yes," Niamh interrupted. "I. I went to the Magicker fifteen years ago and asked her to find you a queen."

"How _dare _you? I have told you countless times that I will not marry! This kingdom is mine, the magic is mine, and neither you nor my father will ever change that!"

Niamh's own temper flared and she turned to fully face her son. "Strong words considering you proposed to the girl not one hour ago! Listen to me, your father will see you disgraced or dead before he allows you to sit the throne without an heir. Otherwise, if an unfortunate fate befalls you, the throne is open and any fae can claim it. I knew you would not accept a fae wife and I would no sooner put one in your bed than slice your throat myself. Humans were not always denied to us as partners… so I found the girl, and I opened her mind to our world with a book."

Jareth sliced his hand through the air. "Don't tell me any more! You know that my father outlawed intermarriage. If he knew that you… fooled me into an infatuation with a human, he would have your head."

Niamh gave her son a look that was very near pitying. "Fooled you into an infatuation? All I did was place her in your path. You are the one who watched her, took her brother, and made her an offer. _You_ fell in love, Jareth. I may never have known it myself, but I can damn well see it on my son's face. You fell so far in love that you were willing to risk your father's wrath to have her."

Jareth glared at the stone under his feet. "None of it matters anymore. Your Magicker failed. Any woman who was worthy to be the Goblin Queen would not have refused me. I don't want a queen who could be so damned idiotic. If she wants a life Aboveground, she can have it."

"Jareth, you don't know what you're doing!"

"If you're so concerned about father hurting me, why not slit his throat while he sleeps? I would ascend and forever be free of him." Jareth watched his mother with a knowing smile. Niamh's eyes widened and before she could steel her resolve, she flicked her gaze away from her son's. Jareth chuckled. "There it is, mother. Don't you dare try to tell me that you have only my best interests at heart. If you did, you would accept the punishment of killing the king. No, you want _me_ to be the one to defy him. Why? What reason other than your cowardice could you have? There's only one I can think of. To see his only son married to a human, the one thing he hates most, would be a fitting revenge for you indeed." Jareth rose from the throne and stalked towards Niamh, whose eyes were beginning to glisten with unshed tears as she stared at the ground, unable to defend herself against her son's words. Jareth's gloved fingers dug into either side of her jaw and forced her to look up at him. For a moment, she felt real fear. Being a ruling king, his magic was a hundredfold more powerful than hers. His face was inches from hers as he growled, "You may tell my father that no woman, human or otherwise, will ever share my throne. As for your own revenge, I will not be a pawn in your schemes." He leaned down to press a soft, quick kiss against her lips, and Niamh shivered in fear. Jareth's eyes were almost black and churning with fury. The calm of his voice only served to driver her terror higher. With his fingers still holding her face immobile, he said, "Sarah Williams is nothing to me anymore. Get out." His free hand waved in the air and before Niamh could even attempt to speak, he'd smashed the crystal at her feet and she disappeared from the Goblin Kingdom.


	3. Victory

Still enraged at the audacity of his mother, Jareth conjured a crystal without thinking. One second he was glaring at the spot where his mother stood just seconds before, the next he was looking down at the crystal in his hand. He clenched his jaw in anger as his mind caught up with his subconscious impulse. He shouldn't care, he declared just moments ago that he didn't. Yet, when the crystal began to drop from his grip, his fingers tightened around the sphere. He released a frustrated sigh and resignedly raised the crystal in front of his face. Finally, desire won out over pride. His wrist twisted and suddenly the image of a dark-haired girl filled the crystal's emptiness. He felt his heart skip at the sight of her, staring forlornly into her vanity mirror, her childish belongings lining the walls behind her. _Could it be? _he thought. Could she be regretting her decision? An irrational hope sprung up within him until her lips moved. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. He rotated his wrist again and the scene shifted so that the mirror was visible. Jareth's entire body went stiff with shocked fury as he saw, not Sarah's reflection, but that traitorous dwarf. His ugly face was lit up with hope as he said something to Sarah. Jareth moved his hand again and the sound of Sarah's sweet voice floated from the crystal.

_"Every now and then in my life, for no reason at all, I need you." _

_"Why didn't ya say so?"_

Jareth felt the magic of his kingdom shift and he saw his citizens _inside _Sarah's room, Aboveground. His jaw dropped open and he stared at the scene unfolding before him. Dancing, singing, hugging, the citizens of his kingdom were _rejoicing _with the girl who'd just humiliated and rejected their king. Anger and loathing washed through him and with a growl, he hurled the crystal at the wall where it shattered against the stone. "Traitors!" he roared, storming toward the window that overlooked his Labyrinth. He sucked in a huge lungful of air and breathed out slowly, letting all of his magic unfurl. He sent it skyward, searching for those ingrates who'd shown him nothing but disrespect. He found them with her, his magic brushing over her body but unable to get a hold. She wasn't under his control like the others were. He winced as he realized the depth of her defenses, but she wasn't what he was after anymore. Any hold he had on her had been lost; he'd allowed her a loophole in the game and she'd taken it. Even through his anger and hate, he could acknowledge that his stroke of compassion, or maybe it was overconfidence, cost him a certain victory. Cost him Sarah. With a frustrated sigh, he took hold of each of his citizens, one by one, and pulled. He ripped each of them from her world and let them all feel his fury. Connected to him as they were, their fear washed over him like rain and he relished it. After all, they needed to be reminded who was king.

""""

Sarah and her friends were still dancing, enjoying themselves and their new freedom, when one of the fieries let out a shriek. This isn't completely abnormal for a fiery, so Sarah didn't think much of it at first. Then two goblins whined, holding their grubby hands to their chests. The obvious terror on their faces made Sarah's heart go cold. While Sarah stood rooted to the floor, the fiery and the two goblins were hoisted into the air. Invisible strings seemed to be holding them suspended above the rest of the goblins and after a second or two they were dragged backward towards the vanity, their limbs flailing wildly. Her mirror no longer reflected Sarah's room and the party inside it. It now showed a view of the Labyrinth, the red light of the Underground flooding the tabletop. The goblins all stopped dancing and started to run around the room, trying desperately to escape the magic they knew was their king's doing. Sarah's eyes widened as, one by one, the goblins were lifted into the air and taken quickly through the vanity. As more goblins were taken, the faster the process became. It was only a few seconds before only Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo were left with Sarah, their eyes wide and darting in fear.

Sarah finally shook off the surprise and grasped Hoggle's arm firmly. She tried to reach for the others, but they were taken before she could even touch them. A startled, "My lady!" floated back to her from the vanity. Sarah's grip on Hoggle tightened as they locked eyes. Sarah's eyes filled with tears as Hoggle started to rise into the air.

"No, no, no!" Sarah whined as she added her other hand to her grip. She might as well have been trying to hold onto smoke for all the good she did. Hoggle began to drift toward the mirror anyway, dragging her along with him.

"You have to let go, Sarah!" he shouted. "Else you'll be taken back Underground!"

"No, Hoggle, I won't let him take you like this!"

Tears started to leak from the corners of his eyes as he pleaded, "You have to. I'll be alright, I promise." As his feet sunk into the mirror, Hoggle pried Sarah's fingers off of his arm. When she lost her grip, Sarah fell backward to land hard on her bottom. Hoggle disappeared into the mirror and the reddish tinge disappeared, the sight of the Underground changed back to a reflection of her bedroom once again.

Sarah sat there stunned for a moment. "He can't," she whispered. She pushed herself up from the floor and clutched either side of the mirror, staring at her own reflection. "You can't!" she shouted at herself. "I won! You can't just do what you want anymore. I beat you, you monster!" After a few seconds of silence, Sarah rested her forehead against the cold glass. "Hoggle?" she called softly. He didn't come; she hadn't expected him to. Jareth had him now. "Jareth, you'd better not hurt them. Please, please, don't hurt them."

""""

Instead of bringing the traitors to his throne room, Jareth sent them directly to the Bog of Eternal Stench without a second thought. The instant they arrived in the Underground, they were dropped unceremoniously into the putrid swamp. The Bog has been described as a fate worse than death, and that was exactly the sort of thing that appealed to Jareth in his murderously black mood. He watched through a crystal as they each dropped into the muck, smiling a dark smile when he saw the dwarf scream amongst the others.

"Jareth," Sarah's voice called to him through her mirror, sending a fresh wave of anger through him. He twisted his wrist to see her in her room, her face pressed against the glass of the mirror. She continued, "…you'd better not hurt them. Please, please, don't hurt them."

His mouth twisted in a sneer. "Too late, you precious thing. You wanted to be free of me, and that's what you shall be. Free of me and every one of my citizens," he taunted into the crystal. She couldn't hear him and he didn't mean her to. She deserved no reassurance, after all. She didn't even deserve certainty. Sarah started to cry in earnest now, her sobs wracking her body. Jareth quickly dissolved the crystal before her tears could have any effect. He felt a stirring of something very like remorse and immediately used his anger to slam the feeling away. He leaned against the wall next to the open window and crossed his arms. The screams of agony from the Bog reached his ears and he firmly yanked the shutter closed against them. He stood for a moment, his hand on the shutter, and listened. The sounds of those condemned to the terrible stench were muffled enough so that they could be the normal shrieks of the fieries in the forest. Jareth turned and walked toward his quarters, hardening his heart along the way. When he finally stood on the balcony of his bedroom, he heard the moans from the Bog again and smiled.

"I wonder, sweet Sarah," he murmured. "If you would have refused me if you'd known the suffering you'd cause." He chuckled darkly. "Goblin Queen, indeed," he said with a careless wave of his hand. He turned on his heel and sauntered into the bedroom, thinking he might have a bath before bed.

""""

"Wake up, you cheat!" Niamh's voice cut through the darkness of the cell like a knife. The Magicker was startled out of a deep sleep and she lifted her head off the filthy straw mat with a groan and glared up at Niamh. A sharp crick in her neck forced her to drop her gaze again. The youth the Magicker had absorbed from finding the potential Goblin Queen had long since faded.

The Magicker's hand rubbed her neck as she said, "Me, cheat? How d'you figure, Majesty?" She made her way to her feet with many groans and cracking joints. Niamh waited until the Magicker had shaken the sleep out of her limbs and met her livid stare before responding.

"Yes, cheat. I've just come from seeing my son and the girl refused him! He did everything he was meant to, she ran the Labyrinth, and still he is without a queen! I've half a mind to go straight to the High King and tell him how you lied to his queen."

The old woman cackled at Niamh who lifted a sleeve up to her face to ward off the decrepit Magicker's smell. "Now, Majesty, we both know yeh won't go to the King. 'Sides, I promised yeh I would find someone who would be a _worthy _queen, I never said she would be the queen fer certain. That was up to that son of yers, but it seems he dropped the crystal on that one." She laughed again.

Niamh's fury and fear ran through her body and her hands clenched into shaking fists. She glared daggers into the old woman's laughing face for a moment before her ire sought a violent outlet. Niamh's hand shot out too fast for the Magicker's eyes to catch and closed around her throat before she could raise a hand in defense. The force of Niamh's grip drove the magicker back against the wall where she hit the stone with a thud and a few cracks as her back, twisted with age, protested against the position. Her head made an audible smack against the wall and Niamh leaned in close to hiss, "You think this funny? My son's kingdom and his life are in danger and you _laugh_?"

The Magicker's eyes rolled around the room as she fought to avoid Niamh's gaze. When she finally turned her pleading stare to the queen, she saw her own terror reflected back at her. The queen was scared beyond reason. The Magicker's breaths came in strangled gasps as she desperately tried to inhale. "Please," she choked. Niamh's hand opened a fraction. The Magicker coughed desperately, "Perhaps if I could work a spell…"

Niamh bared her teeth and ripped the old woman away from the wall only to slam her head back against it. "No more magic, witch! You had your chance and you failed. I thought I was perfectly clear about the dangers surrounding this little plan of ours and the importance of success. Any spells that could have saved your life should have been done when I first came to you." With that, Niamh closed her hand with more force on the woman's neck. She saw the flash of horror in the Magicker's eyes before her throat was completely crushed. Niamh let the body fall back against the dirty straw with a thump. She stood, her chest heaving, and thought for a moment before arranging the room so it looked like the woman might have tripped and fallen onto her shelf, crushing her neck. Satisfied with her work, Niamh swept out of the room before any guards could come, her hands still shaking.


	4. Priorities

"Jareth, why won't you marry me?" Breiah whimpered between gasps.

"Shut up, or I'll send you back," Jareth growled from between her breasts. He nipped at her flesh, making her throw her head back, her dark hair spilling across the pillow. Her hands moved to tangle in his wild hair.

Jareth spent a few more happy moments there before Breiah just couldn't seem to help herself. With a frustrated huff, she said, "But don't you want to be married? I would give you an heir and be your queen." _Precisely,_ Jareth thought bitterly. Jareth's mouth stilled against her skin and he rolled off of her with a groan. The last thing he wanted was a queen, and especially not some silly, mewling cow like Breiah. As far as Jareth was concerned, the only thing Breiah was suited for was currently throbbing between his legs.

He lay on his back and looked up at the canopy of his bed. He saw Breiah sit up out of the corner of his eye and said, "We've talked about this, Bre. I won't take a queen."

"But, Jareth—" Before she could continue, Jareth sat up with a heavy sigh and faced her, his expression stern.

"Breiah, I fear I'm not getting through to you, so let me be direct. I don't want you to be my queen. Now, you can either put that pretty mouth of yours to better use, or I can send you back to the Fae Kingdom."

Breiah gasped in indignation before gathering her pride and jumping out of the bed, folding her arms to shield her breasts. Jareth watched her with a bored expression as she paused at the door. He waited for her to turn back to him before saying, "Need assistance?" Without waiting for a reply, he rolled his wrist and flicked the crystal in her direction. He fell back onto the bed as she disappeared from the room. This sort of episode was happening more and more often. It was getting to the point where Jareth couldn't even look at a woman without her planning their wedding. The 200th anniversary of his rule and come and gone one year ago and it was nothing short of scandalous. The Fae Kingdom was buzzing with gossip of the bachelor Goblin King and whom he would choose as his bride. Because of course he would have to choose a queen soon; he needed an heir. It was no secret that the High King had given his son an ultimatum: marry soon or forfeit the crown. For a king to disown his heir was unheard of in the history of the Fae Kingdom and shocked whispers ran constantly through the court. No fae had ever borne more than one child, so an heir was a precious thing. Tiernus's hatred for humans, an inferior race by his thinking, had driven him to ban intermarriage between the races. The fae are a notoriously infertile race and since Tiernus took the throne, the blood has become more and more polluted through inbreeding so that the fae can no longer conceive without magical intervention.

For centuries, the Goblin Kingdom had stood as a gateway between the worlds, ushering the chosen human brides and grooms into the Underground. The Running of the Labyrinth was a celebrated ritual to choose the strongest and most worthy humans to become part of the Fae world by marrying the Goblin monarch. And once the Goblin King and Queen were ready, they would ascend to the Fae throne. However, since Tiernus's hatred had turned intermarrying into a disgusting taboo, the Goblin Kingdom was more of a relic, a testament to Tiernus's regime. The Labyrinth's walls were now worn and no humans ever ran through the maze again. Not until Sarah Williams, anyway. Jareth grimaced and quickly turned his thoughts elsewhere, something he'd done for two years, ever since the girl rejected him. He'd never allowed himself more than a fleeting thought of Sarah since that day.

Suddenly, Jareth felt surrounded by ghosts and got out of bed to stand on his balcony. He leaned against the railing and stared out over the Labyrinth. He knew he should choose a bride from among the fae. One who was only distantly related to him and had dark hair. His hands gripped the metal railing so hard that his knuckles turned white. He didn't want to marry a fae. For two years, he hadn't been able to find a woman he could stand to spend more than a night with. All of them were looking to snare the bachelor king by any means necessary and while Jareth had certainly let them try, none had come close. They were all the same in the morning.

""""

Breiah shivered as her feet touched the cold white marble of the Fae Castle. She kept her arms tight around her body to keep a chill away; she left her gown in her haste to escape Jareth. Her pride was damaged severely from her encounter with the Goblin King, but her determination was as strong as ever. She straightened her back and, without a stich of clothing on her, strode directly for the High King's quarters. Luckily, she encountered no one at such a late hour. It would mean trouble for her if word of her presence in the king's chamber got back to the queen. Without bothering to knock, Breiah eased the ornate wooden door open and slipped silently inside.

Tiernus had wards placed on his chambers that would awaken him every time someone entered his room, so he knew the instant the handle on his door turned. He suspiciously peered through the darkness and gathered his magic to attack, but relaxed once he saw the tiny form of a woman slip into his room. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. With a snap of his fingers, the candles in his room lit and he rose to sit on the edge of his bed. Breiah jumped at the sudden light, but recovered quickly and marched across the room to stand in front of the High King. She bowed low and said, "Your Majesty, you told me to come to you the moment I arrived."

"You didn't even stop to dress. I appreciate the loyalty to my command, but I'd like to know why you are not still in Jareth's bed." Tiernus reached for her, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her close. Breiah let her hands caress his naked shoulders. His eyes were the same shade of bright blue as Jareth's, but that's where the similarities ended. His hair was shoulder-length and a dark gold that matched the one gold earring in his right earlobe. Where Jareth was lean, Tiernus was bulky. His physique was rare for a fae, but rather than make him unattractive, it made him unique. Even married to an imposing woman like the queen, he was never without admiring women. "Tell me, did he change his mind?"

Breiah's jaw clenched and she looked away from her king's gaze. "He refused me. He said he didn't want me to be his queen—" Tiernus roughly shoved Breiah away from him.

"Then you're no longer of any use to me, are you?" He spat coldly.

Indignant, Breiah said, "He said he won't take a queen! I did all I could, but he threw me out before I could convince him." Breiah scurried back to the bed and put her hand on Tiernus's thigh. "Please, my love, it wasn't my fault."

As her hand started to stroke up and down his leg, Tiernus sighed. "I do know how stubborn my son can be…. I suppose we'll just have to try harder," he said, pulling Breiah into the bed and waving his hand to extinguish the candles.

""""

Sarah stared intently at her reflection as she tried to clasp the necklace together at the front of her throat. It was shaped like a snowflake with diamonds lining the edges and an emerald set in the middle, a gift for her eighteenth birthday from her mother. She'd sent it through the mail as she and Jeremy were currently vacationing in France. Sarah finally got the necklace to close and rotated it so that it sat just above the neckline of her dress. She smiled at her reflection in triumph for a moment before the smile slipped away. Glancing behind her to make sure the door to her bedroom was closed, Sarah leaned toward the vanity mirror and whispered, "Hoggle?" She waited for a few seconds, her eyes searching all corners of the mirror for hints of the dwarf's presence, but none appeared. She sighed and leaned back against her chair. Almost every day for the past two years, Sarah had called her friends' names into the mirror, hoping that somehow Jareth would take mercy on her and let them visit. For two years the mirror remained unresponsive. A few times, she'd even gathered her nerve and called Jareth's name, thinking maybe she could talk him into forgiving her friends. _If they're still alive,_ she thought. She shook her head against the thought. Jareth may have a bad temper, but he wasn't evil.

Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. A smile broke out across her face before she was even aware of it, and she ran to her door, turning back once to recheck her makeup before bounding down the stairs. Her father was already opening the door by the time that Sarah got to the bottom of the stairs, the smile still plastered on her face. She stood next to Robert as the door swung open to reveal Sarah's boyfriend, Kyle. His brown hair was a mess like it always was, but his clothes were neat and pressed, likely his mother's doing. Kyle's family had moved into a house down the street about a year ago, and ever since Sarah's family brought cookies over to welcome them to the neighborhood, Kyle and Sarah had been inseparable. To Sarah, Kyle was nothing short of a miracle. She'd never felt like she quite fit in anywhere, not even in her own family, and it had only gotten worse after her adventure Underground. She now knew that magic and goblins were real and more than ever she felt like an alien among normal, ignorant humans. It was jarring for her to have such a grand, magical adventure and then return to a world completely cut off from anything fantastic. Other than becoming fiercely protective of Toby, Sarah had started to feel sort of detached, like she'd already experienced the most exciting part of her life. Until Kyle, that is.

Kyle's hazel eyes lit up at the sight of Sarah. She looked beautiful in her pale green dress, a sleeveless V-neck that flowed from her hips to stop just above her knees. Perfect for the dinner date tonight. Before her father could even offer a word of greeting, Sarah stood on her tiptoes and kissed her father on the cheek, giving him a swift, "Bye, Dad," before heading out the door, grabbing Kyle's hand and hurrying down the walkway to his sleek, black car. Kyle threw a wave at Sarah's father and then chuckled at her.

"You know, your dad already knows me. I don't know what you're trying to accomplish," he smirked as he opened the door for her.

She waited until he'd gotten in the other side and started the car before saying, "Yeah, but I just didn't feel like getting the safety talk tonight. I thought I'd save you the lecture on driving safe and keeping your hands to yourself and not letting me out of your sight…"

"I do have it pretty much memorized," he laughed.

Kyle took her to a new local Italian restaurant and they had as much fun as always. Kyle made Sarah laugh so hard at one of their teachers that she nearly choked on her pasta. She watched him laugh at her and idly wondered when she fell in love with him. He was the only thing that made her feel anything at all lately, besides Toby.

After dinner, Kyle suggested they take a walk in the park by her house. Sarah hesitated at the thought of what her father would say about her walking around in the park at night, but she was an adult now and Kyle was with her. She said yes with a smile. Though it was summer, the night air was chilly and Kyle wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulders as they walked through the trees. With a sigh, Sarah leaned into him and put her arm around his waist. After a while, Kyle steered her toward a bench and they sat looking up at the stars.

"I kinda like you, you know," Sarah said.

Kyle chuckled before cupping her face in his hand. "I kinda like you, too." He kissed her gently and Sarah felt herself melt under his lips. She felt so comfortable with Kyle, like she could be completely herself. But she still never told him about her time Underground. She just couldn't take it if he looked at her like she was crazy and then told her he never wanted to see her again, which she was certain would happen should she tell him. The kiss deepened and Sarah pushed down her anxiety to focus on the way his kiss made her feel.

""""

Jareth had just turned back into his room when a knock sounded on his door, too soft to be a goblin. He rolled his eyes and strode back to the door. He wasn't sure how Breiah had gotten back into the Goblin Kingdom, but he saw he would have to be less gentle with her this time. When he flung open the door, he was surprised to see, not Breiah, but his mother standing in front of him. While his mouth hung open, Niamh walked into his room like it wasn't odd for her to barge into the Goblin King's quarters, even if he was her son. After she passed him, Jareth stuck his head out of the door to shout down the hall, "Why do I even have guards, you idiots?!" A few goblins in earshot gasped and one whined, "Oh no." Jareth would deal with them in the morning.

"Oh calm down, Jareth, I just wanted to stop in and say hello. Put a robe on and meet me outside," Niamh said cheerfully before walking out on the balcony.

Jareth glanced down and noticed that he was still nude. He sighed and grabbed the pair of pants Breiah had peeled off him earlier. Once he pulled them on, he joined his mother. "You wanted to say hello now? Is it customary for a High Queen to never sleep?"

She gave him a wry smile. "If she wants to stay alive." Jareth just continued to look at her. She said, "No, I wanted to let you know that the chit you just sent back to my castle is in your father's bed as we speak."

Jareth shrugged. "I already knew that."

Niamh blinked but otherwise hid her surprise. "And you still took her here?"

"Of course. A man needs company every now and again."

"But you knew that she was Tiernus's puppet?"

Jareth laughed and said, "They all are."

Jareth could see that he'd shocked his mother and relished the thought of catching her off-guard. Niamh recovered quickly and said, "Then you're a fool. Once Tiernus tires of this he'll send one to your bed with a knife."

Jareth snorted. "If a mere knife could finish me, I don't deserve the throne. You've journeyed here for nothing, Majesty, if you thought to warn me about my conquests."

"Then one of them will trick you into a pregnancy."

"Even if one of them did take the elixir, it would be useless unless I took it, also. I never eat or drink in their presence." Jareth rolled his eyes again at his mother and said, "If that's all, you can go…"

"Actually there is something more," Niamh said, her voice once again cheerful. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her sudden mood change. "Have you bothered to check in on your human lately?"

Jareth's entire body went still with shock and fury started to build in him. He glared at his mother before forcing himself to calm down. "I told you the girl is nothing to me," he said levelly.

"Well then you won't mind that I kept a distant watch on her, correct?" Niamh studied her son with a small, triumphant smile playing across her lips. She could see the anger roiling inside him, but he kept a tight grip on himself.

Jareth didn't trust himself to speak, so he waited for his mother to continue. She took pity on him and said, "I found her interesting. Since you no longer care for her, I assumed you wouldn't mind my observing the girl who stole my son's heart." Niamh held her hand up to take back her intentional slip. "Forgive me, who _once _stole your heart."

Jareth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't fooling his mother anyway, so to hell with keeping control. "You will stay away from her," he growled. "I've told you that she refused me and I don't want her any longer. You're meddling for nothing!"

Niamh raised the corner of her mouth in a knowing smile. "I merely assumed you would be interested in knowing how she's grown up. Quite the little beauty, you know."

"Wonderful," he spat. "Now leave before I do something unfavorable." He turned his back on her and marched toward his bathroom door.

"Quite the beauty," she said again, following. "The other humans have certainly taken notice, even if you haven't. Her mate thinks her breathtaking."

Jareth stopped dead in his tracks and froze, his back still to Niamh. "Get out," he said, his voice dangerously low. Niamh smirked at his back before she pulled her magic around her and travelled back to the Fae Kingdom.

Jareth paced back and forth in front of the fireplace in his room, trying desperately to control himself. For years he hadn't had more than a fleeting thought of Sarah, but his mother's words seemed to open the floodgates he'd worked so hard to keep shut. He knew that his mother was trying to goad him into taking Sarah back and he knew she was manipulating him. Still, the thing that made his mother's manipulations so damn irresistible was that they were true. Sarah was beautiful two years ago, he had no doubt maturing into womanhood had made her even more so. There was also no doubt that the men in her world would find her attractive, a fact that Jareth had worked hard to keep out of his mind. For two years he'd yet to find any real satisfaction in the women Underground, and now he was finally acknowledging why. He wanted Sarah. After all this time, it still killed him that she refused him. He only bedded dark-haired fae because it was easier to pretend it was Sarah beneath him, sighing his name. He stared out at the Labyrinth when he felt weary or lonely because he associated it with her. He finally admitted it to himself- he missed her. "It changes nothing," he growled. He swore that he would never contact her again, declared he cared nothing for her; he even went so far as to magically seal her home from his magic. He grimaced when he thought of how stupid it had been to assume his mother wouldn't try to interfere again. If she had watched Sarah these years, there's no telling what else she'd done. He knew his mother could be ruthless when cornered.

His heart latched onto this excuse. He needed to check on her, just to make sure that he hadn't broken his promise. He had to make sure she and her brother were safe and cut off from his world. Before he could remind himself of the pain and rage that made him leave her in the first place, Jareth conjured a crystal and focused on Sarah's home Aboveground. It took a few more seconds to work through the wards he'd placed to keep his magic from wandering near her, but he finally broke through. However, he didn't find her in her house. The scene that unfolded in the sphere took place in a park at night. Sarah was seated on a bench, moonlight washing over her and the man she was wrapped around. Sarah's hand was tangled in the man's brown hair and her other arm was wrapped around his neck. The man's hands were everywhere, roaming over her body as if he owned it as their lips worked energetically together. Jealousy burned through Jareth, hot and strong. His hand tightened on the sphere to the point that little cracks began to appear on its surface. He'd stopped breathing and the edges of his vision blurred with rage. Jareth's grip finally crushed the crystal, relieving him of the image of Sarah kissing another man. The breath he'd been holding rushed out of him with a growl and Jareth immediately shifted into owl form and prepared to cross worlds, the only thought in his mind being to reclaim Sarah.

Suddenly a thought stopped him cold, causing him to shift forms again. Sarah was never his to begin with. She refused. He knew when he left her Above that she would move past her time here, that she would live a human life there. He realized with a start that he expected her to pine for him. Maybe he cut himself off from her so that he could entertain the fantasy that she grew to regret her rejection and began to recognize her feelings for him. The thing that enraged him more than anything was knowing that she never wanted him. She wanted another. With a bitter scowl, Jareth thought, _he can have her._

**Guys, I love seeing the favs and follows, but the reviews are what I'm after. It's a bit discouraging to only get four or five reviews per chapter. I'll never withhold chapters until I get more reviews, but still… I like them.**


	5. Countermoves

Niamh slept better that night than she had in months. Judging by her son's reaction to the news that Sarah had started found a mate, she was certain he'd have her in his castle by morning. Jareth had never, to the best of her knowledge, been rejected by a woman. She knew that the fact that Sarah had chosen her freedom over him ate at him and she used it to her advantage. When the morning light started to stream through her windows, Niamh moved to her ornate wooden desk and picked up the small hand mirror sitting in the middle. She just wanted to be sure that Jareth cooperated. She held it up to her face and said, "Sarah Williams." The surface swam with colors as the magic searched for her. Niamh's eyes widened with panic when she saw the girl sleeping soundly in her bed Aboveground. Jareth hadn't gone to her.

""""

Ceara crept along the corridor, careful to step only on the rug running the length of the hall so that her footsteps would be muffled. Servants were starting to buzz around the castle, but none but the queen's personal attendants ever came down this corridor and it was too early for the queen to start the day. Her dark red hair fell in wild curls to the small of her back, sweeping along her plain brown skirt as she moved. As she neared the queen's silvery door, shimmering in the morning light, she slowed even more and pressed her body against the wall. As she moved closer, voices started to float out of the cracked door. The queen's velvety voice was easily recognizable, but the other was less familiar. Ceara tilted her head toward the opening and closed her eyes to listen. It was a male voice, but not deep enough to be the High King's or the Goblin King's. The corner of Ceara's mouth lifted when she thought of telling the High King that his queen had another man in her chambers. Oh, how she'd love to see the woman punished. She dared lean even nearer to the door to try to catch what words were spoken. The queen sounded upset and Ceara could hear her pacing, her heels clicking against the floor.

"…watches her constantly. I'm terrified that the King will discover it, it isn't as if Jareth's being careful."

The man said, "But how did he even meet her?"

"You know that the Goblin King can travel between worlds. I think he's been doing this for years, but he's serious this time. I think he means to make the girl his queen."

"That would explain why he hasn't taken one of our women. But what do we do?"

The queen heaved a heavy sigh. "We'll have to do whatever necessary to keep the High King ignorant of it until we can convince Jareth to set the girl aside. After all, she's already run the Labyrinth and it's only a matter of time before he completes the process…"

Ceara jerked back in surprise. She stood frozen to the spot for a moment before hurrying toward the King's quarters, moving as quietly as she could in her haste.

""""

Niamh tilted her head to listen to the footsteps retreating down the hallway and smiled.

""""

"Yer Majesty! Majesty! Sire! _King Jareth!_" A goblin came sprinting into the throne room, screaming his little head off for his king. Jareth hurried toward the goblin, who then shouted up at him, "The High King is at the gates!"

Jareth stood for a moment and gathered his shocked thoughts before barking at the room full of goblins, "Gather the troops in the courtyard, but do not attack unless I say." Jareth pulled his magic close and quickly wove a protection spell around himself as he walked toward the entrance hall. As the door opened, he caught his first glimpse of his father in a year. He looked the same except for the murderous rage on his features. Jareth noticed that the king came alone and he signaled to the goblins to stand down. "Father, what a lovely surprise," Jareth called, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "You should have written first, I'd have tidied up a bit."

Instead of responding, Tiernus marched toward his son with fury in his eyes. As he drew nearer, Jareth started to feel the magic pouring off of him. Had he not bothered with a protection spell, he would have been blown off his feet. Still, he stood his ground in the face of the High King's storm. As he got closer, Jareth had to really concentrate to keep his defenses up against the hostile onslaught of magic. Jareth's jaw was clenched so tight that his ears were ringing, but he forced his expression to remain calm. Once Tiernus was close enough to have to look up to meet his son's eyes, he shouted, "Don't you dare speak to me in that tone, you filth! I am ashamed to call you my son. The only reason my army isn't here to burn this disgusting kingdom to the ground is that I refuse to bring shame to my bloodline by admitting what you've done!"

Jareth's own anger broke loose at this disrespectful speech. "Take care, Majesty, you are in _my _kingdom and my magic is a match for yours. You will not address me in such a manner. Now, kindly tell me what the hell you're ranting about."

Jareth had thought it impossible, but Tiernus's rage intensified and his magic thrust out so that Jareth actually had to take a step back. "You would pretend ignorance," Tiernus growled. "I'm talking about that human dog you've been flaunting about your kingdom! Where is she? I will see that thing's head on a spit!" Tiernus whipped his head around, searching as if the girl would be standing in front of the castle, waiting to welcome him.

Jareth tried to think of a response to his father's accusation, but he was caught completely off-guard. How did he know? And who would have told him? The only ones who knew about Sarah were his loyal goblins and his mother. Niamh wouldn't have told Tiernus, first and foremost because she hated her husband with a passion, and second because she would have been implicated as well. It seemed that Jareth had taken too long to respond because Tiernus said, "Answer me, Jareth! Have you brought a human Underground?!"

"Where did you hear this?" Jareth asked.

"So you admit it!"

"I can tell you with the utmost sincerity that there are no humans in my kingdom."

Tiernus narrowed his eyes. "Do you think me a fool? I know evasion when I see it. A servant overheard your _loving_ mother speaking of the human you intend to make your queen."

Then it was Jareth who narrowed his eyes. How could she be so careless as to let something like that slip in front of a servant? Something wasn't right, but Jareth couldn't see what. "I've told you countless times," he said, stalling, "I do not intend to take a queen, human or no. It would be foolish to break your law for something I don't even want."

"Enough! You will marry and produce an heir to carry on our bloodline, and you will marry a fae. If you don't, I will kill you myself." Tiernus jabbed a finger at his son's chest.

Jareth rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You can try, but then who would be your heir? Why kill me if you want your bloodline to continue so badly?"

"I would rather it die out than have it tainted with human blood, and I would rather kill you than see you make a fool out of me by remaining a bachelor too pathetic to do his duty as king!" Tiernus turned his back on Jareth and started to walk away. "I will find out who this human is, and I will not stop until her head sits on the spike of my castle gate. If you'll excuse me, I would hate to keep your mother waiting in the dungeons."

As his father disappeared, the breath rushed out of Jareth and he nearly collapsed. He'd seen the techniques Tiernus used to extract information and they never failed. His mother would tell him about Sarah and Jareth had no doubt he would make good on his promise to kill her. As far as his mother was concerned, she knew the consequences of what she was doing. After all, she was the one who sought Sarah out in the first place and it was her slip that brought Sarah to the attention of the High King. Jareth wouldn't waste time or energy on some kind of rescue attempt for Niamh. Sarah on the other hand, was defenseless without him. As he thought of his father hurting her, Jareth's stomach dropped and he felt sick. He couldn't let him do it. But what could he do? She didn't want to stay with him, she made that quite clear. He wouldn't keep her at the castle against her will, and to do so would certainly invite Tiernus to try to dethrone him. He ran a hand through his hair as he paced in front of the castle, trying desperately to think of a solution. He had to think of something that would keep her safe while placating Tiernus. While he did think Tiernus wouldn't be able to take his throne, he would be a fool to assume it was impossible.

As Jareth paced, he knew that Tiernus would have been back in the fae castle by then, maybe even interrogating Niamh. He didn't have much time before he would know where Sarah was. Panic surged up in him and he knew what he had to do. He had to bring her back to his caste. The wards were strong enough to keep even Tiernus out long enough for Jareth to think of some way out of this. He couldn't let her die. "Damn it!" Jareth shouted before shifting into his owl form.

""""

"I don't understand, what's going on?" Sarah asked Kyle.

"I just feel like you're hiding something from me, Sarah! You're always distracted and whenever we're here, you're staring at that mirror like you're waiting for something." Kyle and Sarah sat on her bed, deep in conversation. "It feels like you don't care about us anymore."

Sarah was shocked and confused. Last night had been another perfect date night and today, out of the blue, Kyle was mad at her. He had been quiet since he arrived at her house and when she finally asked if he was okay, he told her he thought they should break up. She automatically went on the defensive. "Kyle, you're the only thing in my life that feels right, please don't do this. I'm sorry if I was distracted, I didn't even realize."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's the point. You don't realize because you're never a hundred percent with me. You're thinking about something else all the time and you won't even tell me what it is. I mean, is there someone else?"

"No! God, no. Kyle, I guess… I don't know. Just please don't—"

"Sarah you still won't talk to me. I mean, really talk. All I want is for us to be honest with each other, but you don't seem to want that." Kyle got up and started to walk out of the room.

"Kyle, wait!" Sarah said, her eyes starting to fill with tears. Kyle stopped, his hand on the doorknob, and turned his head to look back at her. "You're right, there is something I'm not telling you." Sarah took a deep breath. She would just have to hope that he loved her as much as she loved him and believe that he would trust her. Kyle walked back to the bed and sat down, looking at her expectantly. "Before I start, you should know that this is going to sound crazy. There's a reason I haven't told you, and it isn't because I wanted to lie to you. When I was fifteen…" Sarah told Kyle all about wishing Toby away to the Goblin King and her run through the Labyrinth. Kyle's face remained calm throughout the entire story and he never once interrupted. Once Sarah told him about the goblins being ripped out of her room and trying to summon them back through the mirror, she stopped and stared at Kyle, trying to gauge his reaction.

He sat and looked at her with a guarded expression for a few seconds before he said, "Are you serious?"

"Yes. Now you can understand why I didn't want to tell you." Sarah reached out and put a hand over Kyle's, but he pulled away.

His eyes widened and he said, "I would say you're making this up to make me break up with you, but that doesn't make sense. So, I have to think that you really do believe all this. I think you need help, Sarah." Sarah's eyes filled with tears and she dropped her head as Kyle once again rose to leave. "Until you do get help, I don't want to see you anymore. I'm sorry, but I think you might be very sick." This careful, resigned voice he was using hurt her more than if he yelled that she was crazy. He was treating her like someone who was standing on the edge of a cliff about to jump.

"Then go," she whispered, her hair hiding her face. She heard him open and close the door as he left. With a sob, she lay back on her bed and curled up on her side facing the wall. She should never have told him, she knew how it would sound to someone who didn't have proof. Now the boy she loved thought she was crazy, just like she knew would happen. After a while of crying, her stepmother knocked on her door.

"Sarah? It's time for dinner. I thought Kyle was staying?" Irene said.

"I'm not hungry," she called.

"Are you okay, Sarah? Did you and Kyle have a fight?"

"Please, just leave me alone," she said, starting to cry again. After a few moments, Sarah heard Irene's footsteps on the stairs. For the first time since she met Kyle, Sarah felt alone again. She felt like an alien in her family. Toby was too young to be of any real comfort so she felt like she had no one to talk to. She couldn't call a friend and tell her about her fight with Kyle because she had to keep her adventure secret. Now more than ever, she knew that she would never again be able to share what had happened. What she wanted more than anything was to talk to Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. She felt a fresh rush of hatred for Jareth for keeping them from her. Sarah welcomed the anger, she was tired of being sad. Wiping the tears from her face, Sarah marched over to her vanity and sat down, looking at her determined expression. "Jareth, I need to talk to you," she said, her voice strong.

The owl perched on the branch outside her window started. Jareth had been rooted there, watching her. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She had grown up into a lovely woman, her body and face longer and leaner. Her black hair was still long and straight, but it was styled with layers, framing her face and making her look soft. Even with her eyes puffy from crying, they were still bright and beautiful. He had been wondering how best to approach her when she called out to him. She didn't seem to know that he was there, and instead was trying to reach him through the mirror. He couldn't decide if this was lucky or not. He tried to think of how best to handle this. Should he tell her what danger she was in? Or should he just act like he was answering her call? He supposed he would go with whichever plan made her leave quicker. Jareth took a deep breath and flicked his head to the side, causing her window to fly open.

Sarah jumped and whipped toward the window, shooting up from her seat and backing toward her bed when a white barn owl flew through the window. She stopped breathing as the owl turned into the man who starred in a lot of her dreams. Most were nightmares, but some… were not. She hated him for stealing Toby and keeping her from her friends, but couldn't deny that he was obviously attractive. He looked the same as always. Wild blond hair, heavily accented blue eyes, and he was in the same clothes he had been when she first met him, some kind of armor and cape. She stared at him with wide, terrified eyes. She didn't know how to feel about his being there.

She expected him to laugh at her, but he looked unusually grim. "Well, well. Sarah Williams. It's truly an honor," he said sarcastically. "You called?"

Sarah gulped. She tried and failed to keep her voice steady as she said, "I want to see my friends."

He stared at her, his expression never changed. "Fine, let's go see them," he said quickly and held out his hand toward her.

Sarah backed up another step, but he still held out his hand. He wasted too much time outside her window, Tiernus had no doubt learned her identity by now. Sarah sounded panicked as she said, "No, I'm not going back! I mean, I want them to visit here."

Jareth let loose a frustrated huff and dropped his hand. "If you want to see them, you must return with me."

"Why would I go back?" she said.

"Let me put it this way, why would you stay?" he countered.

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't think of anything. Honestly, Kyle was the only reason she would want to stay here. The only people left who loved her just the way she was lived Underground. She clenched her jaw and thought for a few seconds. While she was distracted, Jareth glanced out the window, looking for any signs of his father. He sensed they were running dangerously out of time and his heart started pounding as he looked back at Sarah. She finally met his eyes and said, "Promise I can come back."

Jareth glanced out the window again and said, "You have my word." He held out his hand again. The moment she put her slender hand in his, her room dissolved around them and she was standing in the throne room of his castle. Jareth visibly relaxed, his shoulders slumped and a weary sigh escaped his lips.

**Thank you for all the great reviews! I've had some questions about the pacing of the story and all I can tell you is that things will start to pick up more soon. Things are about to throw down in the next chapter, so don't worry. **


	6. Loophole

Immediately after arriving, Jareth took a moment to check his magical wards.

They were stronger around the castle, but even the outer edges of the forest were covered. Seeing that they were all intact and strong, Jareth relaxed even more, a grin stretching his face. They were safe for now, at least. He raised his head to throw a smirk at Sarah, who still stood close, watching him. "Welcome back, Sarah," he said, his voice almost a purr.

Sarah's expression turned stern and she took a step away from him. "Where are my friends?"

"Oh, somewhere around here, I imagine."

Sarah sighed, "Don't play with me. Please, I want to see them. I haven't forgotten that you kept them from me for two years, which was a horrible thing to do."

The glow of having Sarah back with him was fading fast as he read the disdain on her face. He sneered at her and said, "Was it? Tell me, what claim did you have on them? Was it stronger than the claim of a king for his subjects? No, truthfully, you have a _horrible _habit of performing acts that force me to be the villain. You wished your brother away and then claimed I stole him. You coerced my citizens into following your lead instead of the laws of their king, which forced me to punish them. Everything you hate me for, you caused. I'd hoped that you would have grown up a bit more in these two years, Sarah."

Sarah stared at him with her mouth hanging open. She tried to defend herself, but she had to admit there was some truth in his words. Still, she raised her chin defiantly. "Well, I…. Regardless, you promised that I could see them."

Jareth screwed up his face in mock concentration and stepped closer to her. "When did I promise that?" he said.

Sarah's stomach dropped. "Don't do that. You know you told me I could see them."

"I did tell you that, and you shall see them. However, neither of us specified when that would be." He kept moving forward until he was just inches away from her. "Perhaps I should charge a price," he murmured.

Sarah shivered, mostly from fear. "Please, Jareth. It's not fair to—"

He snorted. "I was wondering when that phrase would appear," he said. He leaned closer so that his breath moved the hair over her forehead. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of her, sweet and clean, and he remembered the way his name sounded on her lips. Damn it, he had missed her. He tried so hard for so long to forget her, but he couldn't, not really. All he could do was bury those feelings- he couldn't erase them. The last time they'd been this close was in the ballroom. She had been so perfect, open…

Sarah took a deep breath, startling Jareth out of his memories. He was pleased to hear that her breath shook as she released it. _No power over you, Sarah? _He smiled at the thought. She seemed to be frozen, staring up at him with wide eyes. He drew back enough to meet her scared gaze. Her chest rose and fell with her quick breaths and Jareth's eyes darted down to catch the movement. When his eyes rose back to her face, the air between them seemed charged with tension. His smile was gone and he was sure his intent was written across his face. She wasn't a young girl anymore and she saw the lust in his eyes for what it was. Jareth moved his face toward hers slowly, watching her expression. What he saw made his pulse quicken. His lips were millimeters from hers and he could feel her warm breath on them when shock waves from the ward at the castle gates flooded his mind.

His spine snapped straight and his eyes went wide, causing Sarah to draw back in alarm. He knew exactly who was at the gates and cursed himself for wasting so much time. Tiernus would have been to Sarah's home and found her gone by now, meaning he would be searching for her here.

"Yer majesty! At the gate—" One of the goblins rushed into the room, his too-large helmet falling into his face so that he had to tilt his head back to see.

"I know," Jareth interrupted. "Take Sarah up to my chambers, now!" Jareth grabbed Sarah's arm and thrust her at the goblin.

Her mind was finally catching up to the flurry of events and she shouted, "What's happening?" The goblin tried to yank on her sleeve, but Sarah's feet remained planted.

Jareth gripped both her arms above her elbows and growled, "Sarah, please, for once, do as you're told!"

Maybe it was the desperate tone in his voice or the fear she saw in his eyes, but Sarah allowed the goblin to lead her from the room and up a flight of stairs to the left. Jareth made sure she was out of sight before striding out the front doors to meet the furious figure of his father as he marched toward the castle. Flanking him were two men. One, a stern looking guard in the gold cloak and silver armor of the fae army, the other an advisor to the king, dressed in pale blue robes and hat. Jareth wasn't interested in remembering his name, though he was sure he'd heard it. This time, Jareth hadn't even gotten within twenty yards of his father before he felt the rush of magic against him and he knew it was deliberate. His father was testing any weak spots in his defense.

"_Where is she?" _Tiernus screamed. Jareth clenched his jaw and stared at his father, willing himself not to reveal anything. He stopped at the bottom of the steps leading into the castle and waited for Tiernus to march toward him, sparks flying from his eyes. The guard and advisor followed, keeping their wary eyes on Jareth. Once again, Tiernus stood close enough that Jareth could feel the spittle as his father shouted in his face, "You will not hide it from me! You are nothing but a traitor, lower than the very goblins you rule. Present your filthy human or I will tear this castle down on you both!"

Jareth's vision blurred with the fury boiling inside him and without even deciding to, he shouted back at his father, matching his fury and his volume. "You will not touch her! I may be your son, but don't forget that I am a king! If you take another step toward my castle, we will finally see if the Goblin King's magic is stronger than the Fae King."

Tiernus took a startled step back from his son and stared up at Jareth's dark expression. For a second, fear flashed in Tiernus's eyes and Jareth caught a scent of victory. However, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Tiernus squared his shoulders and said with forced calm, "You know the law, Jareth. I will not allow you to keep it. Give me the human or I charge you with treason, my guards will witness." Tiernus glanced back at the two fae, who nodded back at their king. "If you choose to protect that thing, you forfeit your throne and I will renounce you as my heir."

Jareth's mind was whirring. He tried to think of a way out of this, but couldn't. He'd broken his father's law, which was tantamount to falling on his sword. He could break from his father and remain Goblin King, but if his magic really wasn't strong enough to protect his kingdom, he would live in constant fear of war and death. No fae would recognize him as next in line to be High King, even when Tiernus died. He would never be safe, and if he wasn't safe, neither was Sarah.

"You can't have her," Jareth said quietly.

"You are a fool, she'll die anyway. I renounce you—"

"She's pregnant," Jareth said, his face a mask of dark satisfaction as he landed on the one loophole that could save them.

Tiernus recoiled as if he'd been slapped. The guard behind him dropped his mouth in surprise and he and the advisor shared a glance. Tiernus took a shaky breath and whispered, "You're lying."

The corner of Jareth's mouth rose in a cruel smile. "I believe congratulations are in order. A grandchild, just what you've always wanted."

Tiernus seemed to fill up with his anger and shouted, "It matters not! I will not have a human in my bloodline, I will kill the abomination before its heart can quicken inside its mother!"

Jareth was about to retort, but the advisor beat him to it. "Sire," the man said, "you cannot. It's forbidden to kill a member of the royal family… it's treason against the kingdom."

Tiernus rounded on the guard. "I am the kingdom! My son has broken my laws and created a monster. That monster must be destroyed."

The advisor's eyes widened in fear, but he continued, "But Majesty, our laws are absolute. Perhaps it was against your decree for the Goblin King to bed a human, but the child is now a member of the royal family. As such, it must be protected, as should its mother."

"Then I renounce my son as heir!"

Jareth spoke up. "Ah, but I am still Goblin King. There's no precedent for renouncing an heir, you see, and I'm already crowned. As such, I'm still a royal. As is my unborn child."

Jareth almost laughed at an amusing vision of his father's eyeballs popping out of his head from rage, but managed to control himself. The advisor took a step closer to the king and said, "Your majesty, perhaps we should meet with the council and decide what is to be done. Obviously, circumstances have changed."

Tiernus took two quick steps forward and growled at Jareth, "You've always thought yourself so clever. I will find a way to kill that human and her brat, and this kingdom will burn. You should never have made an enemy of me, Jareth."

"You made yourself an enemy of this _realm_ when you decreed that humans could not cross into it," Jareth said calmly. Tiernus glared at him and finally turned to leave. As he and the others prepared to journey to the fae kingdom, Jareth addressed the advisor with a smile. "Oh, and do make sure you release my mother. She was only protecting my heir, after all." The advisor nodded and Jareth laughed at the defeated fury on his father's face as they disappeared. Still laughing, he turned and sauntered through the entrance of his castle and upstairs to his chambers where Sarah was waiting for him.

**I know this chapter was really short, but it's been a while since I updated and I just felt like this was a good place to end it. I love when Jareth is being so sexy and Sarah can't resist, those are my favorite scenes!**

** Thank you for all the reviews… but I'm greedy and I still want more. Are you guys intrigued? I always end up writing these scenes from Jareth's point of view. Does it feel realistic?**


	7. Wine

All nine members of the council, including the king and queen, were seated in the ancient high-backed chairs around the massive stone table. The room was brightly lit with the natural light of the Fae Kingdom streaming through the windows that reached from ceiling to floor. The brightness of the room was in sharp contrast to the angry, somber mood emanating from the council members.

Once, many years ago, Tiernus had attempted to disband the council, saying it infringed on his authority as king, but his subjects threatened an uprising if he removed the only real check on his power. While the king was feared and respected, he was not well loved. This didn't mean much, not many kings have ever been loved in the Fae Kingdom. However, the magic must be concentrated somewhere, and there has always been a king. Now, Tiernus grew angrier every second he sat waiting for the judgment on his traitorous son to be determined. Niamh was silent, staring at each person as he or she spoke, digesting each word and trying desperately to decipher her son's fate. She had bruises and cuts littering her beautiful face, but most of them were almost healed. The fact that they were still visible said volumes about the extent to which her husband had tortured her. The other council members were heatedly discussing Jareth's transgression and pondering which course of action was appropriate for the crime.

"Was there even a crime?" Lennad said, his white beard quivering. "If Jareth marries the girl, the law favors him."

Tiernus slammed his open palm down on the table. "The law does not favor him! I should know what the law favors and he has deliberately broken it. That traitor stole into the human world and infected himself with filth. He bred a monstrous… thing. It must be destroyed, along with any criminals who harbored it."

Maireen, the only fae Niamh had ever seen with a plain face, sat forward in her chair, her face set to meet the king's challenge. "Your Majesty, the only laws Jareth has broken are the ones you put into existence. I think what Master Lennad is trying to say is that our ancient orders, the ones we are charged with upholding, are intact. We will not kill a member of the royal family and that child is the only heir to the Goblin Throne. Besides, if what the Goblin King says is true, she has run the Labyrinth and is therefore eligible to be queen."

Kennan, the man sitting to the left of Tiernus said, "But what of the Goblin King himself? There's no denying that he's taken a human Underground, breaking his father's law. The penalty for this is death… do we ignore this because of his royal blood?"

Tiernus clapped a hand on his shoulder. "That's right! I will agree that I can't touch the girl so long as she carries that… child," he spit the word between his teeth, "but my son forfeited his life when he brought her down here."

"Her presence here is only illegal because you say it is. She's run the Labyrinth," said a quiet voice from Tiernus's right. Niamh finally straightened her spine, making her sit a few inches higher than her husband. The table was quiet as they considered her. "Jareth can't be killed because he sits the Goblin Throne. We cannot kill a member of the royal family, there's no telling if another could inherit the magic."

"Damn the magic!" Tiernus growled at her. "The Goblin Kingdom no longer needs magic, anyway. Humans are forbidden to cross worlds. Besides, there is no proof that the girl has run the Labyrinth other than the word of the damn Goblin King!"

Lennad sighed. "Your Majesty, we cannot forfeit the magic of an entire kingdom. Agreed?" He looked around the table and every head nodded except for Kennan and Tiernus. After all eyes turned to them, Kennan reluctantly nodded along after a glance at the king.

Tiernus suddenly stood in anger, his chair screeching back against the stone floor. "I won't let this stand! _He cannot go unpunished!_"

Kennan cleared his throat. "I believe I have a solution, my lord." Tiernus slowly sat back down and turned his torso to face Kennan completely. Kennan continued, "Jareth did bring a human Underground and even if she has run the Labyrinth, it was done without witness and so we have to assume it never happened. He not only broke the old laws, but the new as well." Niamh clenched her jaw but remained silent. "Since the woman is here illegally and now knows of our world, she can't be allowed to live."

Maireen interrupted, "We've already established that she's carrying an heir-"

Kennan said patiently, "Yes, and she can't be harmed until the babe is born. However, once it is, it's well within the king's rights to put her to death." He turned to address Tiernus. "If Jareth cares enough about this woman to bring her here without putting her through the trial of the Labyrinth, then surely her death will be punishment enough for him."

Tiernus chuckled and again clapped Kennan on the shoulder. "Oh yes, I think that'll do. Once the babe is born, the human will be put to death and that'll be the end of it. Agreed?" He looked around the table and all the council members nodded. Once his gaze fell on Niamh, she turned her head away, but nodded, her hair falling forward to hide her face.

""""

Jareth made his way slowly upstairs, letting his mind drift from thoughts of Sarah to the decisions that were being made in the Fae Kingdom. Tiernus would do his best to secure an execution for Sarah, but Jareth was confident that the council would never allow it now that they thought she was carrying an heir. An heir… Jareth's smiled as he finally decided what the next step in his plans were. After their episode in the throne room, he had no doubt that he could seduce her without issue. It would also be easy to slip her the elixir to make sure they conceived. Sarah, carrying his child. A warmth stole through him and he smiled… he'd never lose her again. She'd be sorry for all the time she wasted after she refused him once she realized how deeply she cared for him. Yes, things were fitting together nicely now.

His smile faded once he opened the doors to his chambers and her angry voice rang out. "I'm not one of your goblins that you can order about! How dare you lock me in here without even telling me what's going on?" Sarah marched toward him, her hands on her hips. He was reminded forcibly of her frustrated outbursts when she ran the Labyrinth and snorted.

"You are in my kingdom, Sarah, and you'll find that I do have a certain amount of authority over my guests, no matter their species." He drawled, moving past her and toward a decanter on the dark wooden desk next to his balcony. He heard her follow him and said, "By the way, it seems you've forgotten to whom you're speaking. I don't tolerate such outbursts from many. It's not putting me in a cooperative mood."

Sarah was silent for a moment before letting out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry." The words sounded like they were being ripped out of her and the corner of his mouth lifted in amusement as he poured two glasses of dark red wine, his back to her. "You're right, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Please, can you tell me what happened?" she asked slowly, biting off the ends of the words with forced calm.

He turned, a glass of wine in each hand and leaned back to rest against the desk, his legs crossed at the ankles. He held a glass out to Sarah and said, "Nothing that we need to worry about anymore."

Her eyes shifted from his face to the glass that he patiently held out towards her. She took a couple steps closer and held out her hand before snatching it back. She licked her lips before saying hesitantly, "I'm not old enough."

His lips stretched in a lazy smile. "Those rules don't apply here," he said softly. He pushed off the desk to stand before her, so close that he could feel her heat. He cocked his head and waited for her to decide.

Another shaky breath and her fingers closed around the glass, careful not to touch his. Her green eyes seemed even brighter as he took a sip from his own glass, tasting the sweet tang of the elixir. They were standing so close that he had to turn his head to avoid touching her face with the stem of the glass. He looked down at her face with challenging smirk. Never one to back down from a challenge, Sarah held his stare and raised the glass to her lips. The wine was sweeter than she was expecting and she licked her lips to get more of the taste. Jareth's eyes broke from her gaze to watch her tongue dart out to catch a few drops and he was mesmerized. He leaned in close, his eyes fixed on her wet lips.

Sarah's mind was in a whirlpool. _Don't trust him, don't trust him, _Sarah chanted to herself, trying desperately to regain some logic as Jareth moved resolutely closer. _You're here to see your friends!_ Guilt tore through her, but lust was quickly drowning it out, which she knew would only make her feel guiltier later. Suddenly, the thought of guilt brought another face to her mind. She jerked back with a gasp and breathed, "I can't."

Jareth's heavy-lidded eyes snapped open with surprise, but he didn't move away from her. "Why can't you?" he asked, trying and failing to regain his sultry tones through his frustration.

"I just… I'm involved with someone."

He cocked his head again and narrowed his eyes. "Are you?"

Sarah blinked and huffed a sigh, looking down at her feet. Was she? Kyle said he didn't want to see her anymore, but her separation from him was so new. Jareth's words sent a stab of pain to her heart and she knew it was foolish to stay loyal to a boy who didn't want her… but Kyle was all she had for so long, and Jareth was partly to blame for that. "I don't know," she said, meeting his eyes, "but it doesn't feel right to do this to him."

Jareth sighed and finally leaned back, taking a large swig of wine. "Perhaps this has nothing to do with him, Sarah, have you considered that? It's time you thought of yourself." He studied her uncertain expression for a moment before taking another step towards her, erasing the distance between them again. She hurriedly turned her head, raising the glass to her mouth again and took a sip, hoping to calm her nerves and steady her resolve. Jareth smirked down at her, but his expression turned serious as he said, "I told you once before, Sarah. I can give you your dreams."

Sarah stood her ground and gave him a hard laugh, never mind that it was a bit breathy. "And what's the price this time? You can't have my brother, so what do you want?"

He pursed his lips and seemed to think for a moment, his eyes rolling up in exaggerated thought and glittering with amusement. Then his expression changed and he gazed down at her with the same look he'd worn in the throne room, the one that made her stomach flutter and her knees weak. Time slowed to a crawl as Sarah stared up at him, unable to think or even breathe. His gaze wandered down the length of her body, making her feel completely exposed and she shivered under his scorching stare. When his eyes finally met her again, he whispered, "Nothing you wouldn't enjoy giving me."

This time, she didn't even think to stop him as he closed the distance between their faces. His lips met hers softly at first, but then with an urgency that she couldn't help but respond to. His hands slid around her hips to press against her back, forcing her soft body flush against his lean one. She whimpered as she let herself go completely and her hands tangled in the hair at the back of his head, bringing him even closer.

Jareth was lost. He tried to keep his thoughts coherent, but his every sense was muddled by her. Sarah's sweet scent in his nose, her soft curves under his hands, her whimpers in his ear, her wine tinted taste on his tongue, it all brought him to the edge of insanity. His tongue searched her mouth for more of the wine and he wondered somewhere in the back of his mind what she would taste like without it. He resolved to find out. As she twirled her tongue skillfully with his, jealousy flared in him as he realized that he wasn't the first to kiss her like this. He let loose a possessive growl as he swore to himself that he'd be the last.

His fingers were just sneaking under the hem of her shirt when they were startled apart by the sound of his chamber doors banging open. Jareth whipped around to see that damned dwarf rushing into the room, two goblin guards on his tail. He was so stunned by the scene in front of him that his mind failed to register what this would mean for Sarah.

"Sarah!" the dwarf shouted, running toward her, joy on his face.

"Hoggle!" Sarah darted around Jareth and met the dwarf halfway across the room, her arms outstretched.

Jareth recovered enough to shout, "Sarah, don't!" But it was too late. Her arms were around the dwarf before his words could reach her, but she released the little creature just as quickly. She stood, her sleeve held up to her nose. The stench was now permeating the room and Jareth's nose wrinkled.

The goblins pointed their spears at Hoggle and one of them said, "Halt! You are not to enter the king's rooms!"

Jareth growled, "He's already in here, you idiots! Get out of my sight before I ram those spears up your arses and plant you outside the gates!"

The two goblins glanced at each other before scurrying out of the room, their armor clanging down the hallway. Jareth turned his gaze back to Sarah, who was looking back at him with loathing. "What have you done to him?" she said, her voice low and menacing.

**I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out! I had a bit of writer's block. Thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read! **

**Also I'm thinking about changing the tone of this story a bit. It's feeling a little Game of Thronesey to me, and I'm not sure I want that. But I may not, we'll see how it goes. I'm telling you this because I want feedback! Please review. **


	8. Fair

"What have you done to him?" Sarah growled at Jareth.

Hoggle yanked on her hand and pleaded, "Sarah, please, you has to get outta here."

Sarah didn't even look down at Hoggle, but instead fixed her furious stare on Jareth, who clenched his jaw and met her glare with one of his own. "Now, Sarah, I told you there had to be punishments for their actions."

Sarah could feel Hoggle's hand trembling on hers in fear and he whimpered, "Sarah, you has to go before he does the same to you!" She looked down at Hoggle, her eyes filling with tears. Despite the rank smell coming off him, she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. Hoggle's terror was quickly overcoming his adrenaline and instead of embracing her back, he just pulled resolutely on her shirt, trying to tow her out of the room.

"Hoggle," Sarah said softly. "I'm so sorry." Gently, she took Hoggle's hands from her shirt and once again rose to face Jareth. He could see the fury bubbling just below the surface.

Jareth crossed his arms and casually leaned his weight back against the desk again. "Don't give me that look, Precious. You're the one who determines what is and is not fair, so tell me what punishment is fitting for treason—"

"The _Bog_, Jareth? How could you!" Sarah shouted, her self control finally spent at having her own words from her run through the Labyrinth spouted back at her.

Jareth's expression was growing blacker by the second and Hoggle's terrified pants could be heard from across the room. "Sarah, don't!" the dwarf breathed from behind her.

Now too angry to heed Hoggle's advice, Sarah spit, "What kind of king has subjects who live in fear of him? What kind of king would condemn an innocent creature to the kind of life you've given Hoggle!"

Jareth pushed off the desk too quickly for Sarah to react and stood in front of her, his face inches from hers as he growled, "A king who expects one simple thing from his subjects, which is that my orders be followed. When they aren't followed, my kingdom is at risk. When they aren't followed, it's treason. Truthfully, Sarah, you know nothing of what it takes to protect these witless things. Would you rather I killed him?" Sarah fought with every fiber of her being to keep her back straight as he leaned over her and raged in her face.

She was quiet for a while, digesting his words. Both were breathing heavily, their eyes locked on each other's. Finally, Sarah said calmly, "I'm taking him with me."

He snorted derisively. "What, back Aboveground? I'm sure your family will be ecstatic at seeing a filthy, rancid dwarf in their home."

Sarah could feel the tears rise again as she realized that she couldn't take Hoggle back with her. Jareth's glare flickered as he saw the anguish in her eyes, and unfortunately for him, she saw the waver in his. "Take the smell away from him," she whispered.

Had she commanded him, Jareth would have refused instantly, but she didn't. Her voice was soft and pleading and it cut him. She was asking him to do something decent for someone that she loved. Another stab of jealousy ran through him, but with it came the desire to have her realize similar feelings for him. His hand twitched in the dwarf's direction as the door burst open again with a bang. A goblin stuck his head into the room and said frantically, "Your majesty, the queen demands you see her in the throne room!"

Jareth let out a frustrated growl at the goblin, who gulped but stayed where he was. He forgot Sarah for a moment and ran a hand anxiously through his hair, wondering what could possibly have happened now. "Queen?" Sarah's surprised voice cut through his confusion and he glanced down to see her slight look of betrayal. She thought the goblin meant Jareth's queen, the Goblin Queen. Jareth allowed a smirk as he thought that maybe the girl was a bit jealous at the thought of the Goblin King having moved on from her.

His eyes flicked over to the dwarf before he said, "Please excuse me while I tend to the queen." He turned on his heel and headed to the door, turning back to say, "And do open a window, I'd rather my bedroom not smell like the Bog." Laughing at Sarah's angry face, he sauntered out of the room.

Sarah stood for a few moments, her chest heaving with indignation at that arrogant, insufferable man. Queen? Since when was there a Goblin Queen? More importantly, Sarah wondered why the idea bothered her so much. However, once she caught another wave of the stench wafting off of Hoggle, her thoughts were focused on the more important issue of her friend's. She crouched in front of him and tried her best not to grimace. "Hoggle, what's been happening since I've been gone? Where are Ludo and Sir Didymus?"

Hoggle was now glancing around the room, obviously terrified at being in the king's chambers. "They're as well as can be, livin' back in the forest," he said, his voice shaking. "We was all dropped right into the Bog after he took us away from you."

Sarah put a hand to her forehead. "Oh, Hoggle I'm sorry. I should never have let him take you."

Hoggle finally focused on her face, taking her hands in his rough ones. "No, Sarah, you couldn'ta done nothin'. The only thing that we could be happy over was knowin' you was safe back in the Above. When I heard the king had dragged you back down here, I had to rescue you!"

Sarah fixed him with a sympathetic look and said, "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you, but I came down here on my own, Hoggle. I wanted to see you guys. I just… I got a little sidetracked." Her cheeks flamed red as she thought of what she'd been doing just before Hoggle stormed in. To her shame, she couldn't help but wish for a moment that Hoggle hadn't burst in quite so early... As soon as the thought entered her mind, she forced a picture of her friends falling into the Bog of Eternal Stench to the forefront of her mind, and her fury returned in full force.

""""

Jareth paced in front of his mother, who stood anxiously before the throne, toying nervously with the belt on her lavender gown.

"The council allowed him to condemn her to death?" Jareth hissed. "Knowing that she carried an heir, they still allowed it?"

"Yes. They say that because there are no witnesses to her running the Labyrinth—"

"But you saw it! Damn you, you were the one to _ensure _she ran it!"

Niamh sighed and dropped her gaze as she said softly, "I would have had to explain my role in the situation. For a time, you were close to being sentenced to death… they would have done the same to me, and I don't have the protection of a coming heir."

"Once again, you cowardice claims another victim!" he spit at her.

Niamh closed her eyes and took a deep breath before saying slowly, "Not necessarily. The council was in favor of letting you keep her, but your father and Kennan. If you give them another choice, they will reconsider, I'm sure of it."

He shot her a condescending look. "And what choice is that, _mother_?"

Niamh smiled at him, but her eyes remained cold. "If she runs it again, with witnesses this time, you will at least have a case through the old laws."

"The king won't allow it," Jareth said after a pause.

Her face changed into one of cold determination. "Leave that to me. Just find a way to make sure your human cooperates and get her in that maze."

""""

Jareth gathered his magic around him and travelled back to his chambers, arriving just outside the closed door. He could hear Sarah's voice mixed with the gravelly rumble of the dwarf's. Her voice sounded so gentle and he was struck by the difference in tone when she was addressing him compared to when she was addressing the dwarf. How was he ever going to convince her to run again? He wouldn't take her brother again; he swore two years ago that he wouldn't. She had other family, but then he would have to protect them from Tiernus, even if their memories were wiped. He knew she wouldn't do it if he told her the real reason she had to make it through the maze again, especially not after learning what he did to those traitors… his eyes narrowed in thought as he chewed over her relationship with them. He sighed in resignation as he decided what he had to do, but he knew gaining her forgiveness would be a long road after this.

He pushed open the doors and strode into the room, disturbing Sarah and the dwarf as they stood in front of the open balcony doors. The breeze helped with the stench of the dwarf, but Jareth's nose still wrinkled as he approached. He watched her long body stretch to her full height as she stood and crossed her arms.

"Jareth," she said. He watched her mouth form his name and committed it to memory, knowing it would be while before she said it so calmly again. She raised her chin and forced some power into her voice as she said again, "Jareth. You will cleanse Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo of this smell. Then, you will reopen the link in my mirror to this world so that they can visit me. Finally, you will let me return home."

He smirked at her show of determination. She was always so wonderfully theatrical. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you practice that, Sarah?"

She pursed her lips, but otherwise ignored the question. "Well? Will you do what I say?"

His smile widened. "No. Why on earth would I?"

"Because it's right! I beat your Labyrinth, and I deserve it!"

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "That was years ago. I can't give you all this for nothing, Sarah. What if word gets out that the Goblin King bowed to the demands of a little human girl?"

Sarah clenched her jaw and growled, "What do you want, Jareth? What would it take for you to let me have them?"

There it was. "Why, Sarah, you'd have to run the Labyrinth, of course."

The blood drained from her face. Jareth's challenging stare was unwavering and she finally said, "I can't. I won't do it again."

Jareth sighed and flicked his wrist, making a crystal appear on his fingertips. "I see I have to provide more incentive." He flung the crystal behind him and where it dropped on the floor, Sir Didymus and Ludo appeared. Sarah gasped and ran forward, burying herself in Ludo's fur and hauling the little fox knight in with a hand. She didn't even mind the smell as she cried out in relief at seeing them.

As Ludo's huge arms came around her, he sighed, "Sawah." Sarah felt a huge tear land on her head and she gripped him and Didymus closer. After a moment she took a step back to look at them, only they disappeared the second her hands left them. Sarah blinked in shock, staring at the place where they stood just moments ago. After a few seconds, Sarah's head whipped around to stare daggers at Jareth. With a snap of his fingers, Ludo and Didymus popped back into the middle of the room, only this time they were in a huge cage, the iron bars latticed tightly together.

"No!" Sarah shouted, grabbing the bars and pulling, but they remained in place. Ludo was whimpering with his hands covering his eyes, while Didymus was frantically slicing at the bars with his little sword, grunting with the effort. Sarah heard Jareth snap his fingers again and the cage disappeared entirely from the room, taking Ludo and Didymus with it. She marched up to Jareth. "Let them go!" she yelled.

"Of course," he said calmly. "In thirteen hours." Jareth studied her expression as she realized she was cornered. A part of him was enjoying this, enjoying making her suffer for what she did to him, but another part winced at the defeated look in her eye.

Finally, she looked over at Hoggle, who was cowering behind the balcony door and sighed. "I guess I don't have a choice." She met Jareth's stare. "Fine, I'll run the Labyrinth, and I will beat it again. When I win, you'll do all the things I asked. And you will leave me alone."

His jaw clenched at that last sentiment. "And what do I get when you lose?"

Sarah's brows drew together in confusion. "I won't lose, but I thought we agreed that I won't get to see them anymore."

"We agreed on nothing. You made demands of me, now it's only _fair _I make demands of you. If you win, the traitors will be de-bogged and may visit your world whenever you like… but when you lose, your smelly friends will remain as they are, living out their lives in punishment. And you, Precious, will remain here with us." Jareth finished his speech with a smug expression.

Sarah's mouth hung open in shock. "But you… you promised me when you brought me here that I could go back!"

"You certainly can. _If_ you win. The choice is yours, Sarah. As always, every choice has consequences. You can leave this world now and your friends will stay in their torturously rancid states and tiny cages. Or, you can play my game again for the chance at everything you want."

Hoggle shot up from his spot on the floor and shouted, "Sarah, no—"

Jareth held out a hand toward the dwarf and he fell silent as if someone had pushed the mute button. "What will it be, Precious?" Jareth said.

He watched her go through all the possible outcomes in her mind, marveling in the way her bright green eyes betrayed every emotion. Fear, regret, anger, humiliation, defiance, and, finally, defeat. Sarah's shoulders slumped and she whispered, "I'll do it."

**Ok guys, you'll be happy to know that I'm finished with finals and can now devote more time to writing.**

**I know there wasn't a whole lot of action in this chapter, but there were some pretty important negotiations. Jareth is one tricky guy. Please, please review! I love them all. I've been lucky to get really great followers on my stories who post awesome reviews, so thank you!**


	9. Goals

Niamh took a deep breath through her nose and raised her hand to knock on the polished wood of the door. Her sensitive hearing picked up the heavy footsteps from inside just before the door opened to reveal her husband. They were the same height, but her slim body was still dwarfed by his bulky frame. Once he realized it was his wife at his door, his face filled with surprise. Niamh pushed down her disgust and forced a civil expression onto her face. "Are you alone?" she asked.

"For now," Tiernus grunted.

"May I come in?"

Suspicion was quickly replacing surprise on his face, but Tiernus stepped back and swept a hand out to invite Niamh inside. She nodded and stepped into the room, inhaling the sickly sweet scent that he always insisted on wearing. She moved over to the fireplace and ran her hand along the smooth wood of the mantle, organizing her thoughts. Tiernus cleared his throat behind her and she turned to see him standing with his arms crossed, reminding her forcibly of their son. "Well, wife? Care to explain what you're doing here?" he said.

Everything in her wanted to raise her chin and defy him, but she lowered her eyes and folded her hands demurely in front of her. "I wanted to apologize," she said.

She glanced up to see that the suspicion on his face was now blatant distrust. "You did, did you," he said, his eyes narrowed into slits.

She waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, she murmured, "I put my son before my husband and king, and I'm sorry. I should have told you about Jareth's perversion."

Tiernus's eyebrows drew together in thought as he studied his wife. Finally, he heaved a sigh and took a few steps closer to her. "Yes, you should have. What brought on this change of heart?"

Niamh forced herself not to step away from him. "I want to be completely honest with you, my king. I keep trying to get closer to Jareth, but he's stubborn and disrespectful. He could be a great king if not for his inability to follow rules, I realize this now." Niamh took a tentative step closer to her husband. "We used to be so close," she said softly. "When we were first married, I couldn't keep my mind away from you." It wasn't a lie, but generally she was pondering how much she hated him. She closed the last bit of distance between him, pressing her chest against his folded arms. She felt his breathing hitch. "My love," she whispered. She looked into his brown eyes and saw the lust stirring beneath suspicion and had to fight the bile rising in her throat. He sighed softly and raised a hand to brush his fingertips along her cheek. With an iron will, she leaned her face into his touch.

"You understand why I had to punish you… yes?" he said as he ran a finger across a yellowing bruise below her eye.

She swallowed before she said, "Of course. I won't pretend that I wasn't angry then, but now I know that you were protecting the laws of this kingdom. That's why I knew that I had to come to you now. I've just come from the Goblin Kingdom—"

His hand instantly went from caressing her cheek to gripping her jaw so tightly that she gasped. "You know that I have forbidden anyone from contacting the Goblin King," he growled.

"My lord, I'm sorry! Please, I'm trying to tell you that he's planning something!" She forced the words out of her trapped jaw.

His grip on her loosened, but he didn't release her as he said, "Tell me."

"He's making the girl run the Labyrinth. She's already inside and he's petitioning someone on the council to witness."

"You were right to tell me," he said. "Perhaps you aren't as much of a waste as I thought." Without easing his grip on her jaw, Tiernus leaned in and planted a swift kiss on her lips. Then, he dropped his hand and turned his back on his wife, marching purposefully out of the room. Niamh quickly concentrated on conjuring a crystal and watched her husband head toward Kennan's chambers. Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she picked up her skirts and ran straight to Maireen's quarters.

""""

"I'll do it," Sarah whispered.

"I know you will," Jareth said, with something very like regret in his voice. Sarah's eyes narrowed at him for a moment and he realized that he had let his guard slip. He quickly arranged his face into his trademark smirk and said, "Let's get to it, shall we?" Before she could respond, he gathered his magic around all three of them and travelled to the outer edge of the Labyrinth. Sarah was breathing hard from the unexpected journey by magic, and Hoggle was cowering behind her with his hands covering his eyes.

Sarah looked around her in shock. "Why are we here?"

Jareth tilted his head in confusion. "I thought we just went through this."

"You mean you want me to run the Labyrinth _now_, right now?"

"Trust me when I say there is no time like the present," Jareth said, stepping away from her. "You have thirteen hours to reach my castle, or your friends will remain locked in their cages with nothing but their stink for company. Succeed, and they go free."

Sarah gave him a narrow-eyed look of loathing that cut him deeper than he thought possible. "Why do you do this?" she said, her voice low. "Why do you torture people like this? Are you that pathetically bored?"

Jareth marched angrily toward her. "Be careful, Sarah. Never forget that I am king over these lands. There can be far worse things than cleaners in these walls if I wish it. Thirteen hours." Once again, he stepped away form her and turned to leave.

Sarah's eyebrows drew together in thought. Just as Jareth was about to leave, she glanced back at Hoggle and said, "Then why would you let me take Hoggle with me?"

Jareth had been hoping she wouldn't ask that question, that she would just be grateful that he would allow one of her friends to remain with her. Truthfully, he wanted one more measure of security for her. If a council member were going to be witnessing her run through the Labyrinth, the amount of help Jareth could offer her would be limited. While the dwarf was useless as a bodyguard, he did know his way through the Labyrinth and would ensure that Sarah didn't wander into anything too dangerous. Even on her first run through the Labyrinth, Jareth had been watching, making sure that she didn't come to any lasting harm while still trying to convince himself that he didn't want her. The baby certainly hadn't been what he'd wanted, after all. However, he'd lived so long with the notion in his head that he was above falling in love, and most certainly above falling in love with a human. With or without his mother's influence, Jareth had indeed been disturbed by the intense yearning that arose in him at the sight of that young girl who could get so lost in her stories. He'd manipulated her into running the Labyrinth, the only test there was to determine whether a human was worthy of being the Goblin Queen, but he'd made it as difficult for her as he could. Attempting to convince himself that there was no way she could survive the hell his world would put her through. But she made it, she took everything he threw at her and still managed to fight her way to his castle. When he saw her in the Escher Room, desperate to save her brother, he'd never been so in love. When she rejected him, it tore him down.

Now, here he was again, giving her the same offer. Only this time, he wouldn't let her go. Even if he couldn't intervene magically every time she was faced with danger in his Labyrinth, he could still offer her a guide. He sighed and did the only the thing he knew how to- he lied. "Sarah, there are rules that even I can't break. Every runner encounters a gatekeeper at the start of the Labyrinth. Otherwise no one would even get into the maze, and what fun would that be?" Hoggle lifted his head behind Sarah, looking up at Jareth in suspicion. Jareth shot him one warning glance and hoped Sarah would mistake it for a look of disdain.

Sarah's face cleared of confusion and she nodded. "I should have known," she murmured. Jareth clenched his jaw against the unfamiliar stab of pain. He shoved it down inside of him and told himself that he had centuries to earn her forgiveness. He just had to get her through the Labyrinth first. She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye as she said, "I'll see you at the castle, then. I've beaten this thing once before and, forgive me your majesty, but you'd be a fool to think I can't beat it again."

The corner of his mouth lifted in pride despite himself. "I look forward to seeing it, Precious." This time, he gathered his magic before he could find an excuse to stay and disappeared from her view.

Immediately after arriving in his throne room, he conjured a crystal to see Sarah and Hoggle make their way toward the Labyrinth gate, Hoggle leading the way. Just before they walked through the archway, a fairy landed on Hoggle's shoulder and yanked on the dwarf's ear. Hoggle swatted at it, falling behind Sarah. Once her back disappeared into the maze, Jareth saw his opportunity and quickly took himself back to Hoggle's side. His feet landed in the soft earth and he immediately threw a crystal above himself and the dwarf, casting an invisible bubble around them, effectively silencing their words from Sarah's ears.

Hoggle was still trying to rid himself of the fairy and didn't notice his king's presence at first. It wasn't until Jareth crouched down next to him and slapped the fairy to the ground that Hoggle's eyes widened in fear once again. "Listen to me, Hoghead. Stop that quivering; I won't hurt you, you pathetic creature. This trip through the Labyrinth will be different from the last. This time, if you let anything hinder Sarah's progress through the Labyrinth, I will not only dip you in the Bog again, I will drown you in it." Jareth's face was deathly serious as he stared into Hoggle's eyes.

Hoggle took a deep, steadying breath and asked, "Why are you doin' this?"

Jareth ignored his question and said, "Remember what I said. From this moment on, you will protect her and get her through the Labyrinth as fast as you can. I will have to throw obstacles in her path to make it look real, but know that I will be relying on you to secure her safe passage. Do not disappoint me, and don't tell her anything I've just said." Before Hoggle could open his mouth to ask anything else, Jareth removed the magical barrier around them and disappeared.

Hoggle's eyes darted back and forth, thinking furiously about what had just happened. He was no closer to understanding his king's behavior when Sarah's head peeked back out from around the corner of the entrance and she called, "Come on, Hoggle!" He started, but decided that for once, his goals seemed to be the same as his king's. He hurried after Sarah as she disappeared back into the Labyrinth.

**Things are going to get pretty hairy from here on in. I'm looking at changing some things up and I hope you like it! There's going to be some decisions made and some lemons written… hopefully. **

**Review, please!**


	10. Inside the Labyrinth

**Due to a horribly cruel twist of fate, my copy of Labyrinth was destroyed a couple days ago. As a result, I'm writing the rest of the bits about the Labyrinth and castle themselves pretty much from memory until I can get another copy. It shouldn't be that big of a deal because I've seen the movie more times than is probably appropriate. Point is, if some parts of the Labyrinth are out of order or a line gets misquoted, etc., please let me know and I'll fix it. **

As Sarah stood within the entryway of the Labyrinth, she couldn't help but chuckle at herself.

"Somethin' funny? 'Cause I don't see nuthin' funny about what we're doin'," Hoggle grumbled beside her.

"Not funny, really. It's just that it looks exactly the same. Not a stone out of place." The walls were indeed just as she remembered. The same foreboding dimness to the corridors, the seemingly endless appearance of the path from left to right, it even smelled the same, earthy and dank. "I don't know I just expected… something different." Sarah couldn't even explain it to herself, but somehow she felt that everything was different this time around. The goals were similar… but somewhere between kissing the Goblin King and standing in this Labyrinth again, something about the process became less black and white.

"Sarah," Hoggle said, grabbing her hand so she'd look at him. "Ya don't have to do this, ya know. I know the others wouldn't want ya to risk yourself again. You can leave right now," he pleaded.

Sarah steeled herself against the smell and kneeled down to hug him. "Hoggle," she said, her arms still around him, "I would never be able to forget about you guys living the way you are. I'd be constantly thinking about the fact that I could have saved you and chose to be selfish instead." She leaned back, her hands still on his shoulders. "Do you understand?" Hoggle nodded, but hung his head sadly. Sarah forced a cheerful smile on her face, jumped to her feet, and said flippantly, "Besides, I beat him once before. I'll do it again."

Hoggle heaved a great sigh and said, "I guess you're set on it. We better get movin', then." Hoggle turned right and started to jog down the corridor, looking back once to see Sarah following quickly behind him, her hand reached out to run along the left wall. "Don't do that, Sarah," he said, stopping.

"But I have to, to find the opening."

"I know where the openin's are. Ya don't ever go touchin' things in the Labyrinth."

Sarah snatched her hand back and searched the face of the wall, looking for a threat. "What's there that could hurt me? It's just a wall."

Hoggle huffed in frustration. "Didn't you learn nuthin' on your last trip? There's not anythin' that's just _anythin'. _Now come on."

They proceeded down the path until Hoggle stopped dead in front of a seemingly ordinary portion of wall. Sarah smiled and held out a hand to Hoggle before he could step forward. "I did learn some things, Hoggle." She didn't even hold her hands in front of her as she walked toward the illusion of a solid wall, emerging into another corridor. As Hoggle followed, she looked back at the wall behind her. "Wait," she said to him and moved back to the opposite wall in the first corridor.

"Sarah, we don't got time for this!" Hoggle whined.

Sarah ignored him and crouched down to look at a brick near the bottom of the wall, jutting out like a ledge with a little hole next to it. "Hello?" she called. Nothing but silence greeted her. "Hello?" she called again, putting her face close to the small hole. She glanced back at Hoggle, who was anxiously looking back and forth down the corridor. Low, so he couldn't hear, she leaned in close and said, "'Ello?" But no worm came out to greet her or offer any advice. Sarah frowned in disappointment and turned back to Hoggle, turning right down the new corridor as she passed him.

"Where do ya think you're goin'?"

Sarah looked over her shoulder, but kept walking. "Don't worry, Hoggle, I remember this part. The worm told me to turn right here."

"Sure ya turn right if ya want to be wandering around the tricksies for half your time. Ya turn left to get out of the stone maze and go towards the castle," Hoggle said.

Sarah's brows drew together. "The worm lied to me?"

"Sarah, everythin' in this place is meant to trick ya in one way or another... Probably, it was just tryin' to save ya from the king," he added to try to cheer her up.

She smiled at his transparent effort and followed him as they headed the opposite direction down the new corridor, her confidence slightly shaken.

""""

Jareth dissolved the crystal in his hand with a smirk. With the dwarf guiding her, she'd already cut at least three hours off her last run, if things went relatively smoothly from there. Just as he settled back into the throne, footsteps echoed in the entryway. His wards weren't tripped, so whoever it was must not have meant him any harm- a rare thing these days. He waved a hand to dismiss the guards as Councilwoman Maireen strode into the room with a smile.

Jareth's curious expression changed to a smile as he said, "Councilwoman, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Maireen, please, your majesty," the woman said with a bow. Once in front of Jareth's throne, she said, "At your request, I've come to witness your human's run through the Labyrinth."

Jareth blinked, but said, "Of course, thank you for coming so quickly. Sarah Williams has already begun, I was just watching her progress when you arrived."

"Your majesty, tradition dictates that I interview the human before she run—"

"To ascertain whether she could survive the ordeal, but I've done that already," Jareth interrupted. "You've always been reasonable, Maireen. I know you'll believe me when I say that there has never been a human more able to be Goblin Queen," he said with a confident grin. Jareth was a playful king, always had been, but when Maireen studied him, she could see a new seriousness waiting to emerge in him. "I will set up a viewing chamber for you, the goblins will wait on you whilst Sarah is in the Labyrinth."

Just as Jareth was about to summon some goblins from the kitchen, the ward at the gate shoved a warning into his mind. He gathered his defensive magic around him as he felt his father's magic permeating the grounds. When Tiernus entered the room with Councilman Kennan on his heels, Jareth was prepared for anything. What he was not prepared for was the sight of his mother following meekly behind Kennan, her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her. Jareth's brows drew together.

Tiernus strode forward confidently, but once he saw Maireen, his face reddened with anger. "Goblin King, Maireen, I'm here, along with Kennan, to witness the girl attempt to solve the Labyrinth," his voice was all forced civility.

"Councilwoman," Maireen said pointedly.

"What?" spat Tiernus.

"I would prefer that you address me as Councilwoman."

Jareth glanced back at his mother before he spoke up, "Your majesty, I already have a witness. Maireen has graciously agreed to observe Sarah's run. I certainly appreciate the gesture, but you needn't have bothered coming here." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, which only served to make Tiernus's face even redder.

"Fine," he growled. "Councilmembers, is there any law, either ancient or recent, that limits the number of witnesses allowed to observe a run?"

Maireen said, "No law, but it would traditionally be left to the Goblin King's discretion."

"And the Goblin King is under my rule, at least in matters such as these," Tiernus finished triumphantly, his face back to its normal color.

Jareth was about to retort, but Maireen caught his gaze and gave him a slight shrug to say, _There's no point fighting it._ Jareth took a calming breath and gave his father a curt nod.

"Excellent. Please arrange for Kennan, your mother, Maireen, and me to have a viewing chamber."

Maireen cleared her throat. "I would like to remind everybody that the run of the Labyrinth is an intensely personal thing for the Goblin King or Queen and the potential mate. We are here to objectively observe, not to interfere. As long as Jareth stays within the parameters of the laws governing the Labyrinth, we cannot intervene." She stared hard at TIernus and Kennan until they both acknowledged her speech with a nod.

""""

As they made their way through the brighter tan corridors, Sarah felt unease creep up her spine. "Hoggle," she said, nervousness seeping into her tone. "I haven't been in this part of the Labyrinth before."

"If I'm bein' honest, I try not to be in this part most of the time. It's the most direct way to the castle, but ya pay a price for the time saved," Hoggle's voice was lowered as if he feared something was listening, though there was nothing in sight but deceptively light walls.

"What price?" Sarah rubbed her arms, trying to dispel the goose bumps that had risen along her skin. They weren't from cold, but from an unshakable feeling that she was being followed and watched, that danger was right around the corner. She couldn't help but think that any moment some monster was going to burst from around a bend and attack. Every now and then, she glanced behind her to find nothing but the endless passages.

"The closer ya get to the castle, the more the Labyrinth tries to stop ya. Last time, ya skipped a lot of it by goin' through the Bog and the forest. Do ya notice anythin' different?"

Sarah took another searching look around her, absentmindedly running her hands along her arms in front of her. The walls looked the same as she remembered when she was trying to mark her way through the maze with lipstick. "It looks the same," she said.

"Looks ain't anythin' to go by down here. What does it feel like?" Hoggle said impatiently.

"It feels… hostile," Sarah finally landed on the perfect word to describe the negative waves washing over her from the walls.

Hoggle nodded and said, "Yup. It's doin' what it can to make you wanna turn back. The trick is realizin' that feelin' ain't comin' from inside _you_."

Sarah relaxed slightly as she thought over Hoggle's words. To her relief, the nervousness started to dissipate as soon as she realized that that feeling wasn't her own. She smiled and said, "I'm so glad you're here with me. With us as a team, there's no way we can lose." The nervous feeling was still there, but now it was just a niggling impression in a corner of her mind.

Hoggle forced a smile at her, but mumbled under his breath, "We've barely started."

Hoggle moved expertly through the twists of the Labyrinth, moving as fast as his little legs could carry him. Soon after beginning, Sarah had to remind him that since she had a guide this time around, they probably had time to spare and didn't need to move so fast. His winded pants were tugging at her protective instincts for the dwarf. Once she was satisfied that their pace wouldn't put Hoggle into an early grave, she took a deep breath and asked, "Hoggle, what happened while I was gone? Apart from… you know." She waved a hand in the air around him, indicating his dip in the Bog.

"Well, we was basically livin' in the forest, Didymus, Ludo, and me. We only got rumors from goblins about what the king was doin', we tried to stay outta his way most times." Sarah could understand that. Hoggle's voice dropped to a near whisper as he said, "He was in a right temper that night after you won. Dropped every one of us into the Bog. Then he left us there to find our ways out- the bottom is real soft and kinda sucks ya in… some of 'em didn't make it."

Sarah's mouth dropped open at the cruelty Jareth showed in leaving his citizens to drown in that putrid swamp. "I can't believe he would do that just because you guys wanted to be with me." Sarah actually felt sick to her stomach as she remembered the kiss she'd shared with the king in his chambers. She'd known all along that he was a snake, but he was still charming with his easy smirk and smooth voice. In minutes, he took advantage of her stupidity and made her forget what he was. Well, she wouldn't forget again, she promised herself. She just had to make it through the Labyrinth and then she'd never have to see him again.

Hoggle stayed silent, remembering that day, how his screams mixed with the others' as they fought for their lives in that foul muck. After a while, he noticed Sarah's brooding expression and tried to lighten both their moods. "But you gotta tell me what you've been doin' up there! I always hoped ya were happy."

Sarah smiled at him. "I was happy, Hoggle. I missed you guys, of course, but I had Kyle—" she stopped short at her thoughtless mention of her boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend, she supposed.

"Kyle?" Hoggle asked.

Sarah sighed. "My… boyfriend, but I don't think that's what he is anymore." Hoggle seemed perplexed by the word, looking at Sarah with a blank stare. "Like a mate, I guess," she clarified.

Hoggle's eyes widened. "You had a mate?"

"No, it wasn't as serious as that. It's different for humans, I suppose. But I liked him… a lot." Something from earlier caught at her memory and before she could stop herself, she asked, "Hoggle, is there a Goblin Queen?"

Hoggle blinked. "No, why d'you ask?"

"Well, it's just that when we were in Jareth's room, the goblin said the queen was waiting for him..."

"Must've been his mother, the Fae Queen. The goblins are sayin' she's been visitin' pretty often."

Sarah was flabbergasted. "Mother? Wait, there are other kingdoms besides this one?"

"Sure." Hoggle said like it was obvious.

Sarah shook her head and said, "I assumed the Underground was just the Goblin Kingdom—"

"That's your problem, Sarah. Ya take too—"

"Too many things for granted, I know," she interrupted. She was just about to ask about the other kingdoms when Hoggle grabbed her hand and stopped suddenly. "What is it?" she whispered, automatically going on the alert.

"I thought I heard somethin'," he mumbled. They both stood still and listened intently. After a couple minutes, Hoggle let out a breath and said, "Let's keep movin'."

"How many people have run the Labyrinth, Hoggle?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know. I ain't allowed to learn histories, but I been here my whole life and you're the only one I've seen."

Sarah chewed that over for a while. She'd thought that there were many runners before her, and probably a few since. After all, didn't Jareth have to steal children to keep up the goblin population? She didn't know the mechanics of goblin reproduction, but that's how it worked in her book. The nasty Goblin King stole unwanted children to turn into goblins, but then a hero saved them. Maybe it was just that most children didn't actually have heroes to come to their rescues. You have to be pretty desperate to wish away a child to a supposedly fictional villain, so it made sense that most people wouldn't choose to try to solve the maze. She had been at the end of her rope with Toby, but she knew immediately after that it had been a stupid mistake made by a selfish girl, a mistake that the Goblin King was only too happy to take advantage of.

Speaking of the Goblin King, "Do you think it's odd that we haven't seen him yet?"

"Who, Jareth?" Hoggle said, "Just be happy about that."

"I am, it's just that last time he seemed to always be here, throwing obstacles at us, you know? I wonder why he's holding back this time."

Hoggle's eyes darted around and he sounded nervous as he said, "He's probably makin' you think it's safe, then he's gonna throw everythin' at us at once."

"How very clever of you, Hogfilth," came a deep, smooth voice from behind them. Hoggle seemed to jump a foot in the air in fright, and Sarah shrieked, more at the sudden movement from Hoggle than Jareth's appearance behind them. Jareth chuckled at their reactions, then crossed his arms and leaned against the stone wall just behind them, the picture of ease.

Sarah felt a pleasant warmth rise up in her chest at the sight of him, but quickly squashed it with anger, both at him and at her self. Jareth cocked his head to the side and drawled, "Did I just hear some remarks questioning my management? 'Holding back' was the phrase, I believe."

Hoggle spoke up, "No, no. We was just sayin' how grateful we was that—"

Jareth held up a hand and said, "That will do, dwarf." He took a step closer to Sarah and she could smell his spicy scent through the dust of the Labyrinth and Hoggle's stench. "Well, Sarah. Happy to be back?" he said with a wide grin.

"Leave us alone, Jareth," Sarah snapped.

He tsked, "Now, is that any way to greet your king?" He leaned into her, and she resolutely stood her ground. His mouth brushed her ear as he said, "I keep wondering about that kiss, Sarah. I'm not sure you _want_ me to leave you alone."

Shame was quick on the heels of a shiver that ran through her at the feeling of his breath on her ear. She hated him… but, God, he knew exactly how to slither under her defenses. She gathered her wits and forced her eyes to stare straight ahead, which was right at his shoulder. "Your majesty, I would rather have all my limbs torn off by Fireys," she said.

He chuckled, his breath moving some strands of hair over her ear. With him standing so close, she couldn't see or smell or hear anything that wasn't Jareth. "I rather like your limbs, Sarah. But if you think you need a challenge…" He took a step back, leaving her feeling almost cold without him there. With his eyes locked on hers, he raised his left hand and snapped his gloved fingers. He disappeared completely from the corridor and revealed behind him a giant metal contraption in the form of a man, but instead of legs it was moving on two tracks, much like a tank, and it was clanking and grinding towards them at an alarming speed, swinging a huge axe as it bore down on them. It looked like the huge robot that guarded the gate to the Goblin City, but scaled down to fit inside the walls of the Labyrinth.

"Hoggle, run!" Sarah shouted and took her own advice, sprinting in the opposite direction. She took the first turn she came to, darting into an opening in the wall on the right. The metallic clanking and groaning drew closer. She hid behind the wall and peeked her head out, looking for Hoggle and finding him not too far behind, but the robot was gaining on him. Her heart hammered against her chest as she screamed, "Hurry, Hoggle! Over here!"

When Hoggle was close enough, Sarah reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him towards her and out of the path of the robot. It went whizzing by barely two seconds after Hoggle's feet left the corridor and they took a few seconds to try to control their breathing. Just then, the sound of metal screeching across stone reached them, and Sarah and Hoggle looked at each other in horror. They peeked out to see the robot slide to a halt, spin its head around to look back at where they were hiding, then grab its own waist with both hands and lift, turning its torso 180 degrees before dropping it back on its tracks. It came speeding back towards them. Without thinking, Sarah grabbed Hoggle's hand, turned and ran, straight into a wall of grey, glittering mist so thick she couldn't even see Hoggle. The only reason she knew he was standing beside her was the feel of his hand in hers. Sarah felt the itching nervousness return, but the more she fought it, the more it turned to genuine fear. Eventually it turned to blind terror. With a scream, she fought off whatever it was that was gripping her hand and bolted further into the mist.

**We're in the Labyrinth! I can't tell you how much I would love to see some more reviews. Thank you!**

**And for anyone savvy enough to understand the reference, the robot is supposed to look a bit like the T1 terminator from the Terminator movies, but less futuristic. **


	11. Fears

Sarah couldn't hear anything but the rapid breaths tearing in and out of her throat. Her every thought was devoted to trying to escape, but she didn't know what she was trying to get away from. The thick fog was making any kind of path impossible to determine, only adding to the disorienting fear raging inside her. She whipped her head around, trying to decipher any kind of shape through the mist, but she couldn't see anything. She didn't know where she was or what she was trying to do, she only had a vague certainty that she had to get out. Sarah heard a shuffling noise to her left and screamed, bolting away from it, her footsteps echoing like thunder in the suffocating silence. The shuffling followed her, and she pushed her legs faster, holding one arm in front of her in case she ran into anything. She ran until she couldn't anymore, and bent over with her hands on her knees, watching the mist swirling around her legs and trying to catch her breath. The shuffling was gone, so she figured she must have lost whatever was chasing her. Once her heart rate slowed enough for her to be able to think of anything else, she tried to focus on calming down. She wouldn't be able to escape if she didn't have a plan. She took a few deep breaths in through her nose and let them out slowly. What was she running from again? Sarah thought and thought, but she couldn't remember what it was that was chasing her. She was deathly afraid, but of what? Even through the fog of fear, her mind dragged up a memory.

"_It's doin' what it can to make you wanna turn back. The trick is realizin' that feelin' ain't comin' from inside_ you_."_

Hoggle. The Labyrinth! That's right, she was in the Labyrinth to save her friends. She and Hoggle were walking through the maze… then they met Jareth… the robot was chasing them and they ran into the mist… but what happened after that? Where did Hoggle go? Sarah pushed back some strands of hair that were sticking to her sweat-covered face. She straightened her back and as soon as she tried to peer through the fog again, waves of fear washed over her. She shut her eyes and took a few more deep breaths, chanting to herself, _It won't hurt me. It won't hurt me. It's okay, it's just another part of the Labyrinth. _Eventually, she opened her eyes and peeked around her. The fear was still there, but she was able to push it to a corner of her mind, just like before. Sarah allowed herself a small smile before setting out after her friend.

"Hoggle?" she called into the mist. "Hoggle, where are you?" Nothing answered, so Sarah figured she would try to find Hoggle whilst trying to find a way out of the mist. While calling his name, Sarah tried to find a wall, waving her arms around, desperate to feel the rough stone of the Labyrinth walls. Finally, her right hand smacked into the stone and she leaned her weight against the wall for a moment, relieved at finding some kind of landmark in this sea of white. She was about to call Hoggle's name again when a quiet voice behind her almost made her heart stop.

"Sarry! Sarry, ouch!" Sarah made herself turn around and her breath caught in her throat. Through the thinning mist, Sarah could see a small body topped with a head of golden curls.

"Toby!" Sarah screamed. _How the hell did he get down here?! _She took off running toward him, but just as she reached out to lift the boy, her hands smashed against an invisible wall. She watched in horror as Toby's face twisted in pain and his smooth skin turned to green scales. "_No, Toby!" _Sarah pounded on the invisible wall with her fists, and the tears were flowing fast before she even felt them. Toby's eyes went from soft green to a bright, sickly, blood red. His clothes morphed from a pair of jeans and a blue sweater to raggedy leather and dirty brown rags. As Sarah sobbed and smashed her hands against the glass, Toby shrunk in front of her eyes and when she blinked against the tears, she opened them to find a small, ugly goblin, shaking and curling pathetically in on itself. Sarah leaned her forehead against the glass, closed her eyes and moaned, feeling more helpless than she ever had. Suddenly, she fell forward, the glass having disappeared without warning. She opened her eyes to see that the goblin-Toby had disappeared as well. She looked around frantically for him, but the fog had returned to its original obscuring thickness.

Just as she stumbled forward to search for him, a whimper from behind her drew her attention. The dread grew thicker as she turned to see Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus crammed into individual, tiny cages and screaming. Though she knew what she would encounter, she still ran forward and slammed her fists against the invisible wall. On her first trip through the Labyrinth, she rescued Ludo from torment by some nasty little goblins that were torturing him with biting sticks. These same goblins were shoving the sticks through the bars of the cages and the tops were biting Ludo, Hoggle, and Didymus as they cowered in their cages, trying to twist their faces away. The space was too limited for them to raise their arms to protect their faces from harm. Sarah's breaths fogged against the magical glass and her tears were blurring the scene almost completely, something she couldn't help but be grateful for as she glimpsed a pool of blood forming below Hoggle's feet. As she watched, she felt the glass disappear from under her hands and the whole scene in front of her seemed to pop out of existence, leaving nothing behind but the thick mist. Sarah's strength left her and she slumped to the ground, letting her head fall into her hands. Rooted in her dread and sadness was confusion. _What is this? Are these things happening? Or are they possibilities? Just another distraction?_ If so, it was working. Sarah couldn't think of anything but the images of her brother morphing into a goblin and her friends caged and tortured.

Soft footsteps sounded in front of her. Sarah felt so exhaustingly shaken and thought _God, what else? _With a feeling of inevitability, Sarah raised her head and let her hands drop to her lap. Jareth was walking toward her through the now thin mist. He was in the outfit he wore in the ballroom, the first time she ever really noticed him as a _man. _The memory of him holding her so closely, his hand resting gently on her waist and his voice soft as he sang to her, made her so angry and resentful that her face twisted into a snarl. She knew after that dance that he was capable of being decent, even romantic as opposed to blatantly seductive, so when he was cruel, it just seemed all the more cold-blooded. She pushed herself to her feet and shouted, "You bastard! If you've even touched Toby, I swear—" Sarah's words were cut off as she bumped into the now familiar feeling of the magical glass. Confusion took over her thoughts as she watched Jareth continue to walk toward her, but he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were fixed at a spot over her shoulder and his face split into a smile. Not a smirk, but an actual smile. One that crinkled his eyes and showed his white teeth. Sarah's breaths stopped at the sight… he was beautiful.

Through her shock, Sarah's confusion grew. What was this place? Obviously, it was part of the Labyrinth, but what was the goal? To waste her time? It was already doing that, so why give her a vision of Jareth? While she was trying to figure it out, Jareth's smile grew and he opened his arms. Sarah shrunk back from his embrace, but instead of reaching for her, another figure entered the scene and his eyes were for her only. A slender woman with dark hair launched herself into Jareth's waiting arms and Sarah both heard and saw him laugh, burying his head into the woman's hair and lifting her off the ground, spinning her in a circle. It was when Jareth's back was to her that she could finally see the woman's smiling face over his shoulder. Sarah recoiled from the scene as she looked into those shockingly familiar green eyes. Sarah was looking at herself, a vision of a happy Sarah lovingly embracing the Goblin King. Her jaw dropped open as she watched Jareth lower the dream-Sarah slowly to the ground and she stroked his face before standing on her tip-toes to press her lips to his. Jareth's gloved fingers combed the hair back form her face and returned the kiss gently, lovingly. She'd always dreamed of a man kissing her like that. Kyle would sometimes kiss her in a similar way, but he was a boy. His kisses were hesitant and sweet, but the kiss in front of her now betrayed the passion churning within the both of them.

Sarah shut her eyes against the sheer wanting, not just for Jareth himself, but also for the feeling of belonging to someone. To know that she was loved, that someone treasured her. She hadn't felt that way in so long, not since Toby was born. The way Jareth was looking at the dream-Sarah… he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. As soon as Sarah acknowledged how much she wanted it, her mind rebelled forcefully against the idea of being with Jareth. He was a monster. Her heart may wonder at the possibilities, but her mind knew the certainties. She knew what he almost did to Toby, and she knew what he would do to her friends, what he already has done to them and to so many. Maybe he would look at her like she was perfect… until he got bored. Then, she would be no more than a plaything. Still, as she turned away from the perfect scene in front of her, Sarah sobbed once more. Instead of waiting for the dream-Sarah and Jareth to disappear, she turned and ran, keeping one hand on the Labyrinth wall until the mist was thick around her again.

"Hoggle!" she wailed, terrified again, but not in the same way as before. Mostly, she didn't want to be left alone in this godforsaken mist with nothing but her own thoughts and the memories of her visions around her. She let herself be overcome and slumped against the wall and sobbed, mourning for Toby, her friends, and what could have been if the world wasn't so cruel.

"Sarah?" Hoggle rough, anxious voice called from within the mist.

""""

Jareth collapsed into his throne, the crystal held limp in his hand. He stared ahead without seeing, his mind in a tumult with what he'd just seen. The Aermetus was a particularly hindering part of the Labyrinth, one that Sarah hadn't encountered last time. It uses fear to keep the runner disoriented and distracted while his or her time runs out. If the runner defeats the first wave of terror that the fog induces, it will use the fear in other ways. When Jareth saw the vision of Sarah's little brother, Toby, turning into a goblin, he knew it was using her worst fears against her. The next vision was also to be expected since she was running the Labyrinth to save her friends from the same fate, being confined to cages. What he had not expected was the third scene. He'd known that she wanted him, and he was angry that she always refused him, sure that the reason she rejected him was to show that she still had power over him. Idiot that he was, he thought it was a power struggle. As much as he hates the fae, his mentality is unwaveringly rooted in fae behavior. Each move is an act of defiance, or a counter-move, or a manipulative strike, all to gain more power… That wasn't what he saw in her vision. The entire time he'd hated her for beating him at his own game, he hadn't really understood anything about her. She was a human, a young girl, not a centuries old fae looking for the next kill. As he raised the crystal again, he saw that the dwarf had found Sarah and was now trying to drag her to her feet, but Sarah was still slumped against the wall, tears flowing fast. More than ever before, those tears cut him to the bone. Without a thought more than to go to her, Jareth disappeared from the throne room.

**Sorry that this chapter didn't have a lot of dialogue and I know this is a horrible place to end it, but the chapter was getting obscenely long! That said, I have most of the next one written, so expect a quick update. **

**Also, this is my second time posting this chapter. I noticed a mistake when I read through it again and it was driving me crazy, so I had to change it. Sorry for the extra notification!**


	12. Trust

**So… Just a quick reminder that this story is rated M for a reason… Enjoy!**

"Sarah, we gotta keep moving. We've wasted a bunch of time in here already," the dwarf pleaded. Sarah was still planted against the wall and she looked exhausted. Neither of them noticed when Jareth arrived. He stood behind the dwarf and studied that beautiful, frustrating girl in front of him. She'd spent the last two years lying to both of them, trying to convince herself that she didn't care. She'd certainly convinced Jareth, but now there was no doubting that she felt something, and it was more than lust. If she'd just wanted him, he would have been prepared for it, but her vision wasn't of the two of them in bed. It was the two of them just… being. Existing together. Loving.

"Sarah," Jareth said, and he didn't even think of pushing any cynicism into his voice. Almost as an afterthought, he waved his hand and stopped her time. At the sound of his king's voice, Hoggle started and whipped around to look at Jareth with eyes filled with fear. Sarah's face twisted and she shook her head, her eyes still closed. Strands of her hair caught on the rough stone behind her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Your majesty! Pease, I'm tryin' to get her up. Don't do nothin' to us, we was just about to move," Hoggle pleaded. Behind him, Sarah finally opened her eyes, but after a glance at Jareth, embarrassment colored her face and she turned away.

"Sarah, look at me." With a look of resignation, she turned her eyes to Jareth's. He stepped around the dwarf and crouched in front of Sarah, trying to decipher the emotions raging on her face. There was anger, embarrassment, resentment, fear, sadness, but under all that was… yes, there it was. Longing.

Hoggle tried to catch Jareth's attention again. "Your majesty—"

More than any other creature, Hoggle annoyed Jareth to no end. Mostly it was because he was so pathetic, but Jareth would be lying if he said a lot of it wasn't because Hoggle earned Sarah's trust and love so easily. Jareth waved a hand to silence Hoggle; his mouth was obviously forming words, but no sound came from it. Sarah's gaze flicked from Jareth to Hoggle, and anger drowned out that beautiful longing. "Don't you dare do anything to him! He's only trying to protect me," she snapped.

Jareth's jaw clenched against the retort he wanted to bite out at her. He took a deep breath and snapped his fingers at the dwarf again. "Don't think ya can just—" Hoggle stopped dead when he realized his king could hear him again. Jareth raised an eyebrow at Sarah.

She looked like she wanted to snap at him again, but he sensed that it was more to feel in control than her being actually upset. Finally, she sighed and said, "I suppose you saw it, then."

"Yes, Sarah, I did. Do you know—"

"Saw what?" the dwarf asked anxiously.

Jareth whipped around to face him, "Dwarf, you do know that I can do much worse things to you than the Bog. If you do not keep your filthy mouth shut—"

"Don't yell at him!" Sarah shouted. She'd gotten to her feet and stood over Jareth with her hands in fists at her side.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a calming breath, rising slowly to his feet. "Higgle…" he began.

"Hoggle," the dwarf blurted.

Jareth couldn't help huffing in frustration. "Higgle, I only wish to speak with Sarah."

Sarah surprised him by saying, "It's alright, Hoggle. I guess I… I'll talk to him." The dwarf was out of Jareth's mind as soon as he turned his stare back to Sarah, but her eyes followed Hoggle's progress as he walked along the wall. "What is this place?" she asked, turning her eyes back to Jareth.

"The Aermetus. Terror Mist. It plays on your fears to make you forget your goal. Which brings me to why I'm here," Jareth watched her eyes slide back to her feet and without thinking about it, he reached out to touch his gloved finger under her chin, lifting her face to look at his. Too late, he realized that as much as it seemed like they were completely alone in this fog, they had an audience. He jerked his hand away from her. Jareth's father must at this moment be demanding that Maireen and Kennan declare him impartial and this run invalid. Ah well. He knew that he and Sarah were protected by the old magic of the Labyrinth so long as they were inside. Tiernus lost his power over this maze as soon as he passed the throne to his son. Still, Jareth waved a hand to bring the fog closer around them, shielding the two of them from the spying magic of the crystals. Jareth had to step even closer to see Sarah's face through the mist.

"Why did you do that?" Sarah asked, looking around at the fog that surrounded them.

He chose to ignore her question. "It could be real, Sarah," he whispered. Jareth's eyes bored into hers and once he caught her gaze again, her green eyes went wide. As he waited for her to say something, fresh tears spilled over and she shook her head.

"I don't want it," she said, her voice shaking.

"I find that hard to believe. I know you're scared, Precious, but—"

"Don't call me that!" she screamed at me. He jerked back in surprise and then narrowed his eyes at her. "You don't get to call me that," she continued, the tears warring with her anger. She seemed to have lost the grip she was keeping on her emotions, and everything spilled out of her. "Why do you think I'm scared? Yes, I want you. Yes, I've thought about what it would be like to be with you, but I hate you. I hate you, Jareth, I hate you so much. You ruined my life, everything that was good was ruined because you had to take my brother—"

"Stop right there, Sarah," Jareth growled. He couldn't stand there and listen to her lie to herself anymore or speak to him like he was the monster under her bed. Jareth's temper was always scratching at the surface, and he certainly wasn't used to anyone but the High King speaking to him that way. "_I_ ruined _your_ life? You've done nothing but torment me for years! I did everything for you. You _asked _me to take your brother, have you forgotten that? You wanted your little adventure Underground and I gave it to you. I'd have moved the very stars if you'd asked me to, and how did you thank me? You turned my citizens against me, spurned my offer, and left me to rot in this place!" Sarah's chest was heaving with the effort to stay silent, but her eyes were frozen on Jareth's. "You can't pretend that you'd rather I left you up there to play romance with your little human boy and reserve fantasy for your books. The Aermetus doesn't lie, and I know that you've longed for me the way I have for you. Don't forget, _Precious_, that I was in that room today, too, and I felt in that kiss everything that you won't admit to yourself—"

"Kiss!" Sarah seemed to shake herself awake at the memory. "That kiss was nothing but you manipulating me, _again_. You would never have told me about my friends if Hoggle hadn't interrupted us, and thank God he did, because I almost forgot what a monster you are. Just the idea that you think everything you did last time was for _my _benefit shows me that you are an arrogant, horrible, cruel… whatever you are! I know that I made a mistake wishing Toby away, but I knew right away that it was wrong and you made me run the Labyrinth anyway. That was cruel, no matter which way you look at it. How could you do that?"

Sarah was glaring at Jareth with a knowing look in her eye. She knew he wanted to defend himself and she knew exactly which words were bubbling below the surface, just waiting for him to open his mouth. She had them figured out and she was waiting for him to give her the ammunition.

Jareth saw all this and made a decision. He looked past his anger and indignation and said calmly, "Because I wanted you close to me."

Sarah's angry expression turned into shock. "What?" she said.

He took advantage of her confusion and moved close enough that the ruffles on his shirt brushed against her chest. "I wanted you. I wanted nothing more than to keep you close, but I knew you weren't ready to hear it. You saw me as such a villain from the first, that's the only way you would allow me in your life. I played my part, but I only ever wanted you to realize that I did it all for you." He watched her process his words and realized that were was no going back from this. He only meant to surprise her, gain the upper hand in the argument. Now, he was trapped and he couldn't help but think that if being vulnerable meant that he could have her, he'd do it. He'd do anything, gods help him.

"You…" Sarah started before closing her mouth and opening it again. "No, you… The goblins. You killed those goblins in the Bog. And my friends, you would have killed them, too, put them in cages with that stench…"

Without taking his eyes from hers, Jareth snapped his fingers again. The beast and the fox in their cages, and the dwarf, materialized to Sarah's left. Sarah unconsciously raised a sleeve to her face at the sudden stench. She threw a scathing look at Jareth, no doubt expecting him to do something horrible to them. Jareth waved a hand at her friends, freeing them from their cages. They looked around, confused, and he waved his hand again. The stench disappeared completely, and Sarah lowered her sleeve slowly, her mouth hanging open. Her gaze moved from her friends back to Jareth and he could see that tears were growing again. He didn't dare to move while her friends celebrated beside them. Hoggle tried to get Sarah's attention, but her eyes were fixed on Jareth's and the emotion churning behind them sent warmth through him. Not taking his eyes from hers, he addressed the creatures beside them. "You'll all be taken to the castle. Hoggle," it left a bitter taste in his mouth to use the dwarf's actual name, but as soon as he saw Sarah's eyes soften at the word, he knew it was the right thing, "I'll summon you back to Sarah." Jareth snapped his fingers again and they disappeared.

The moment they were gone, Jareth couldn't take it anymore. She was staring at him with fear and trepidation, but under that was such longing that he felt it in his chest. He reached out and caught the back of her neck, bringing her to him roughly and slamming his mouth on hers. She stiffened and he was afraid she would pull away, but then she moaned softly in surrender and the sound went straight through him. Her arms were around his neck and her soft body was pressed close against his, but it wasn't anywhere near close enough. He could taste the salt of her tears and felt sorry to have caused them, but couldn't regret it. He had her, was holding her close and she was kissing him like she'd never stop, so even though he knew he'd hurt her and drove her to the limit, he would have done it again. He'd have risked his father's wrath, his mother's life, his kingdom, even Sarah's life, so that he could have her. Whether or not that was selfish didn't even enter his mind. Once she was completely his, she would be safe.

Jareth pressed Sarah's back into the rough stones of the wall and let her feel how much he wanted her. He wanted her to know that they could have everything she saw in that vision, and so much more, if she would only open herself up to him. If she would only submit. His hand travelled from her waist up over her breast and tangled in her sweet smelling hair. He felt Sarah shiver when he touched her and he drew back a little and opened his eyes, wanting to see her. When she felt him draw away, her heavy-lidded eyes slid open and her swollen lips opened in an "oh". She was about to ask him what was wrong when he cupped her cheek and put a thumb across her lips.

"Exquisite," he said, and the small smile she gave him said more than any vision could. So softly, he moved his lips against hers again, but he kept his eyes open and intent on her face, watching the expressions play across it as she let herself go, her eyes rolled back and closed in bliss. She sighed into his mouth and this time, she opened her mouth readily, twining her tongue assertively with his. He forgot to keep his eyes open and surrendered himself to the feel of her wanting him and taking him. Her hands wandered firmly down his chest and he couldn't help but release a deep moan. She smelled like dust and sweat, but he couldn't get enough. He pressed his nose into her neck and inhaled, letting his tongue flick against her skin when she threw her head back. Her shirt was thin and he could feel the heat of her skin through it; he ran his hands greedily across her back, letting them drift over every curve. He could taste the Labyrinth on her silk skin and thought it tasted like wine. He pulled her shirt off her shoulder and ran his tongue along her collarbone, lifting her off the ground with an arm around her back.

"Jareth," Sarah whispered, and it sounded like a plea.

"That's it, Sarah." He lifted her higher and grabbed her thigh, hooking it around his waist. She caught on quickly and wrapped her legs around him, making him gasp at the intimate touch. "Tell me."

"Jareth, please." Her thighs squeezed tighter, trying to relieve some of the sweet pressure building between her legs. Jareth's mouth closed on her breast, soaking her shirt and making her arch towards him, silently begging for more. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he ran a hand slowly down the flat planes of her stomach, and Sarah was falling apart from anticipation. Jareth's fingers paused just above the line of her jeans.

"Tell me what you want." He lifted his head to lock eyes with her.

Sarah's cheeks colored in embarrassment, but she couldn't let him stop now, not when they were heading toward something wonderful. "Touch me," she whispered, unable to look away. A shadow of his old smirk graced his features, but his eyes were more intense than she had ever seen them as lowered his face to hers. His tongue stroked hers and she quivered as she felt his hand continue downward. A finger caressed her through her jeans and she gasped, but it wasn't enough. "More," she breathed. He caught her mouth again and fingered the button on her pants, popping it easily. His slender fingers hooked under her panties, searching for her through their tangle of limbs and clothes. Stars flew across her vision as he ran a fingertip across her and she had to break the kiss to catch a breath. His head lowered to her chest again. The fog was thick and close around them, and there was nothing in the world but Jareth's hands and mouth on her. Under his skilled fingers, she was coming apart faster than she ever had. Kyle's fumbling and her own shy explorations were nothing compared to Jareth caressing her. She rocked on his hand as he brought her closer and closer to that shining edge. Finally, his teeth closed gently on her nipple and his finger circled her in such a way that her whimpers turned to screams and his name was the only word that she could think of.

Jareth was rock hard and so ready to just take her, right against the wall of the Labyrinth. He was so close to doing it when he felt her tighten around his fingers and when she screamed his name, it sounded like permission. Instead, his damn magic reminded him that his father was inside the wards of the kingdom, and they were registering him as a threat. He must be incredibly angry to have set off the wards while already inside. Breathing hard from the effort of holding back, Jareth let Sarah slide back to the ground, his face buried against her neck. Words seemed to escape her, and she just clung onto his neck, waiting for coherent thought to return. His hands travelled up and down her back, and he pressed kisses along her neck.

"God, Jareth. That was… wow."

He chuckled and kept his face hidden, trying to ignore the throb in his pants. "I had a feeling you enjoyed yourself," he said. He wanted nothing more than to take her back to the castle and fuck her senseless, but the wards were growing more insistent as, no doubt, the High King's fury grew. "I have to get back."

She finally drew back, and he smirked as he wiped a spot of blood off her lip with a fingertip. She ran her tongue over her lip and vaguely remembered biting it at some point. "As long as it's your bedroom, I don't care where we go," she said, confidence radiating from her.

Jareth's smile slipped from his face. "Precious, you have to finish your run."

Sarah blinked. "But I—I thought... Didn't this mean anything?"

He held her face in his hands as he said, "Sarah, of course it did, but the contract is struck. I'm bound by the old laws, I can't release you from the terms of the Labyrinth."

"But I want to stay with you. It's different now." Her face was filled with a fast-fading hope. She thought he was abandoning her, hurting her like she was always afraid he would.

He pressed a reassuring kiss against her lips. "It is different now. You don't know how much I want to take you straight to my chambers and fuck you like the world was ending, but I can't. Not now, at least," he said with a smirk.

He was trying to distract her, but she wasn't fooled. Sarah pulled back and looked at him, hurt. "Tell me the truth… was this all a ploy to use up my time?"

"No, of course not! I stopped the clock the moment I arrived."

"Well, if you can do that, why can't you cancel the run?"

"Because I can only stop the time if doing so doesn't help you progress in the Labyrinth. My duty is to try to stop the runner from reaching the castle, as it has been for millennia." Jareth took a breath to calm the hurt anger rising in him. Even after what just happened, she wouldn't trust him. "Sarah, please trust me. I now want nothing more than for you to succeed, but I have a role to fill. The consequences for me failing to do my part are worse than you can imagine. Say you trust me." He reached out and rested a hand gently against her neck.

Jareth could see her warring with herself. She wanted to believe him, but experience and years of deluding herself were working against her. Finally, she nodded. "Alright, I trust you."

He gave her a genuine smile, the same one she saw in her vision and her heart stopped for a moment. He leaned in and gave her a quick, but thorough kiss before stepping back and looking her up and down, taking in her disheveled clothes and flushed skin. "You'll have five minutes, then I'll send Hogbrain back."

"Hoggle," she said, annoyed, her hands running through her hair.

"Whatever," he said, and disappeared with another smirk.

**Oh no, I'm such a tease! Guys, I'm still really new at writing lemony things, so I'm nervous and I'm going to need a lot of feedback. How was the sexy scene? **

**This chapter took longer than I expected because it just didn't feel right for a long time. So I had to rewrite it from first person Jareth point of view, then from Sarah's, and finally rewrote it in this format. Did you like it?**

**Also, I couldn't help but notice that the last chapter had only one review, but I got a lot of new followers. What's up with that?**


	13. Motivation

Instead of taking himself directly to the High King, Jareth decided to stop in his chambers first to gather himself. It would be nothing short of suicidal to confront his explosive father with his mind so full of Sarah. He leaned his forehead against the intricately carved bedpost and took deep breaths until he could smell something other than her. With a snap of his fingers, he found the dwarf in some chamber of the castle and sent him back to the Labyrinth and Sarah. He chuckled when he imagined Sarah explaining to the dwarf what had just happened, and why. Oh, how he wished he could watch, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. Once Jareth felt completely in control of himself, he let his magic take him to the observation chamber.

The room set aside for the witnessing of Labyrinth trials was a dark, round room with no windows, decorated with plush red curtains that hid the cold stone walls of the castle. In the center was a large round table set low to the ground, sunken in the middle so that the observation crystal could be placed there. There were nine seats arranged around it, presumably for the Council, but Jareth didn't know of any time when the entire council was gathered for a run. Jareth arrived silently in the shadows behind the chairs, watching the scene in front of him. The crystal was a mass of white fog, the result of his gathering the Aermetus around him and Sarah. Nothing was visible but the fog and Jareth smirked at his own cleverness. They wouldn't have been able to see a thing, and while that was probably a good thing, it opened the doors for Tiernus to claim the worst. Currently, Jareth's father was raging at Maireen, Kennan standing resolutely behind him. Niamh was calmly sitting in one of the ornate chairs set around the table, watching the confrontation with a calculating eye. Maireen was growing angrier by the second, but she stood her ground as TIernus stormed over her.

"This run is a sham! That traitorous pig is no doubt flying her over the walls toward the castle as we speak!" Tiernus shouted.

"I have to disagree." Jareth's quietly amused voice sounded behind the king, and Tiernus whipped around to see Jareth stepping forward, his smiling face illuminated by the dull light of the crystal.

"Good, you're here. I can kill you myself," Tiernus growled, stalking toward his son.

Maireen quickly stepped between the two kings and said, "My king, there is no proof that Jareth aided the girl. Goblin King," she turned to Jareth, "explain why the crystal lost its vision."

Jareth waved his hand toward the crystal and everyone in the room turned to see the fog within dissipate, showing Hoggle and Sarah making their way along a Labyrinth wall. The pair looked around curiously at the thinning mist, but shrugged and continued along the wall. "The mist changes from time to time, becoming thick or thin as it pleases. It never lost vision, the Aermetus simply denied a clear picture. Something, I'm sorry to say, I didn't foresee."

"He's got an answer for everything, doesn't he?" Niamh said scathingly to TIernus. Jareth's stare moved to his mother, and only centuries of practice kept the shock off his face.

"Indeed, my love," Tiernus said, his hand landing on Niamh's shoulder and her slender one rose up to cover it.

Kennan cleared his throat. "We saw you arrive in the Labyrinth and talk to the girl and that other creature. How are we to know that you didn't aid her?"

"Exactly," Tiernus said. Maireen just raised her eyebrows at Jareth.

Jareth gave a bored sigh and gestured at the crystal again. "As you can see, the girl is still at the same point in the Labyrinth. I went to torment her, try to convince her to turn back, but she refused."

Niamh snorted. "Oh yes, it certainly looked as if you were tormenting her. All we saw was you touch her face and we could smell the lust from here."

Jareth studied his mother and tried to contain his anger. "If you had been watching from the beginning, you'd have known that the Aermetus was playing on her longing for me. I merely exploited it," he said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, but to what end?" she said, her fingers lacing with Tiernus's over her shoulder. Jareth glanced up to see a sadistic glint in his father's eye, along with pride for his wife. "That girl was a broken mess when you arrived, she hardly needed your hindrance. Now, look." She gestured to the crystal where Sarah and Hoggle had just exited the mist and were now in a maze of hedges. "She's determined and moving with fire."

Jareth opened his mouth to retort, but Tiernus cut him off. "Enough! The queen is right, you have an answer for everything, but what you don't have is proof. The terms of the council's decision specified that should the girl fail, she would be put to death after the abomination is born. You've tampered with her run and according to the _old laws_," he glared at Maireen, "that means she has failed."

Jareth stalked as close to Tiernus as Maireen would allow and growled, "You say I have no proof that I haven't interfered, but you have no proof that I have. You will not condemn this woman to death because of your own insane prejudice—"

"Such insolence!" Niamh shrieked. "Jareth, you threaten the very safety of this realm with your disloyalty."

Tiernus was taking even more strength from his wife's words and shouted, "That's right! If the Goblin King considers himself beyond the laws of this realm, he is nothing but a threat."

"Shall we discuss loyalty to the realm, _mother?" _Jareth growled at Niamh. Before he could continue, however, Maireen's calm voice cut through the din.

"That is enough! Let us not forget that we are here to witness a running of the Labyrinth, nothing more."

Tiernus rounded on her. "We've already established that this run is forfeit—"

"We've established nothing!" Jareth shouted, now pressing firmly against Maireen in an effort to get closer to his father. "You are blinded by your own hatred. I have broken no laws and you know it. You will do anything to ensure Sarah's death!"

Niamh stood to speak in her husband's ear, "Oh it's 'Sarah' now, is it? He loves that human more than our kingdoms!"

Her words seemed to enflame Tiernus's anger even more. Jareth was still staring at his mother, his mind furiously trying to understand her motivations, when Tiernus's anger ripped out of him in a furious growl. He slashed his hand through the air and both Jareth and Maireen were thrown off their feet and into the wall behind them. Even muffled by the curtains, Jareth heard Maireen's head smack against the stone. Kennan gave a wordless shout of shock, but made no move to stop his king.

"I've had enough!" Tiernus screamed. "I declare you both guilty of treason against the crown, and treason is punishable by death. Once I've dealt with you, not even your precious maze will be able to protect that filthy whore from me!" He thrust both his hands toward Jareth and Maireen and Jareth could see the murderous glint in his eye and knew that he meant to kill. From his place on the floor, Jareth held out a hand and summoned the most powerful defensive spell he could muster and as his father's magic pulsed against his, Jareth grabbed Maireen's cloak with his free hand and took them to the only place he knew they'd be safe for a time.

""""

Hoggle and Sarah had just emerged into the hedge maze when Hoggle finally got up the courage to ask about what had just happened. When he was first returned to Sarah's side in the Aermetus, Sarah looked flustered, but unharmed. Hoggle couldn't make sense of anything that was happening and, being distrustful by nature, he was only growing more and more nervous at his king's strange behavior. First, he Bogged Hoggle and the others, which wasn't all that surprising at the time. Then, Jareth cut Sarah off from everything Underground, even himself, and Hoggle heard rumors of women coming and going from his chambers almost nightly. Now, he's brought Sarah back to run the Labyrinth again. Only this time he's trying to protect her? Then why set the robot on them? He said he would have to pretend to hurt them… but he was doing one hell of a job, chasing them into the Aermetus. But then why did he release Hoggle and the others from the stench and the imprisonment? Foremost in Hoggle's thoughts was what Jareth wanted with Sarah. Hoggle's face contorted in concentration and finally, he put a shaking hand on Sarah's arm.

"Sarah, he didn't hurt ya, did he?" Hoggle asked, concerned.

To his confusion, a blush stained Sarah's normally pale cheeks. "No, Hoggle, he didn't hurt me," she said slowly.

"Well, what did he want? I don't understand what's goin' on."

Sarah took a deep breath and studied Hoggle's determined, but confused, face. She was just about to answer him when a muted thud to their left caught their attention. Sarah whipped around to see Jareth propped up against one of the hedges, the added weight of another person hanging on his shoulder making him sink back into the leaves. Jareth's white shirt was stained red from the blood flowing from the other person's head. As Jareth tried to shift the other person upright, Sarah saw that it was a woman, dressed in long red robes and barely conscious, the blood seeping through her brown hair.

While Sarah stood gawking, Jareth finally got the woman lowered to the ground. "Hello, Precious." Jareth shot her a wry look before he glanced back down at the woman.

Sarah finally recovered enough to walk up to him. "Jareth? What is this?" Hoggle moved forward, but stayed behind Sarah, his wary eyes on the injured fae.

"Sarah, things are very complicated." Jareth crouched down to place a hand to the woman's bleeding head. His hand glowed yellow for a moment and when he drew back, the bleeding had slowed dramatically and the woman was stirring more, her eyes opening to move from Jareth to Sarah.

"The Fae King's lost his mind," she hissed at Jareth.

"To be honest, my friend, I'm not sure he ever had it."

"Fae King?" Sarah's eyes narrowed. "You mean your father. What is going on?"

Before Jareth could speak up, Maireen interrupted. "Sarah Williams. My name is Maireen, it's a pleasure to meet you." She didn't look like she could stand yet, but Maireen bowed her head and Sarah nodded back, but she wouldn't be distracted.

"Jareth, you tell me what's happening now. Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Maireen's eyes widened at the tone Sarah was taking with the Goblin King, but Jareth didn't look angry with her. In fact, he looked murderous, but not at Sarah. His black gaze was fixed on the castle in the distance. "I can't believe he would go that far," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "And the queen… what is she doing?"

"Your mother has been hanging on the king since they arrived to witness the girl's run—"

"_What_?" Sarah interrupted, her voice sharp.

Jareth's eyes closed and Sarah heard his jaw snap shut. She put her back to Maireen and stood directly in front of Jareth. "'Witness the run'? What does that mean?"

Jareth's eyes opened and he raised a hand to Sarah's face. "Sarah…"

She slapped his hand away and his eyes went hard. "No, Jareth. What did she mean?"

Jareth let out a frustrated huff. "Only that each run of the Labyrinth has to be witnessed by someone other than the Goblin King. It's always been that way, to insure legitimacy."

With her back to Maireen, Sarah didn't see the wide-eyed look of surprise on the fae's face.

Sarah studied Jareth before saying slowly, "Was that how my last run was?"

"Of course," he said without hesitation. "There was simply no reason for you to know then. You told me you trusted me, Sarah. Have you so little faith in me as to believe I would betray that trust?"

Sarah stared hard at him for a few more moments, but finally sighed and brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry," she said, meeting his eyes again with an apologetic look. "Old habits, you know."

He lifted one corner of his mouth in a smile and she tiredly smiled back at him. He leaned down to capture her lips in a heated kiss and Sarah's hands came up to encircle his neck. Hoggle felt his throat tighten and he turned away, unable to watch his Sarah kiss that monster. He should have known that's what Jareth wanted with her.

Maireen cleared her throat and, too soon for both their liking, Sarah pulled her lips away from Jareth's. "Your majesty, it would be prudent to keep moving."

Jareth glanced down at Maireen and said, "You're right. I know where we can go, but it's only a matter of time before he finds us. We need to discuss options."

Sarah put a hand on Jareth's cheek to get his attention. "What kind of trouble are you in?"

Jareth gave her a level stare and said, "The kind that means we're all in trouble." Jareth concentrated on the forest and when Sarah next blinked, she and the others were surrounded by trees.

**Let me just take a second to send a huuuge thank you to everyone who is reading my story, and an even bigger one to those of you who review. Each one means a lot and helps me be a better writer and storyteller. **

**We're nearing the end of the story and I don't see there being more than five more chapters or so. And that's probably being generous, so if you haven't reviewed yet, you're missing your chance!**


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